Of Peace Treaties and Battle Cries
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: "The Lava Louts poisoned your drinks."... "I'm losing him! Someone help me!" ... "He isn't breathing!" ... "Hiccup...HICCUP!" The Lava Louts are coming to renew a peace treaty. However, one simple action that leads to Hiccup being poisoned could very well lead to a war bigger than Berk has ever seen. Rated T for violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**This chapter probably isn't very good, but I did my best, and the chapters will get better, I promise, so don't worry! :D This has been requested by quite a few people over the past while, and although I'm not so sure how it's going to pan out, I know it'll be totally awesome in the end...hopefully...**

 **Eh...**

 **So, bit of a warning: Yes, I'm sure you can all tell by the summary that Hiccup is poisoned. If you do not like Hiccup getting poisoned, or hurt/comfort, my advice is: stop reading this story right now. I don't generally go overboard, but...like I said, I have no idea how serious it's gonna get, or what's gonna happen.**

 **Basically, you can expect a few things from this story - poison, Hiccstrid, fighting, and injuries. Not much else to write home about. ;) So, I hope you all enjoy this first chapter, even though it's short and really isn't anything at all. :) Enjoy! (Or you can hate it, whichever. I won't judge. :D)**

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Hiccup made a frame with his fingers, looking at the Great Hall. "It looks great!" he said cheerily, turning to Ruffnut and Tuffnut who, for once in their lives, were finishing the decorating of their hall. "I'm impressed."

Tuffnut saluted. "Well, of course," he said. "We _always_ do our absolute best. Nothing but the best. Far from the best...I mean, I mean, far from the _not_ best."

Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "I think he gets it," she whispered to her brother.

Tuffnut snapped back to attention. "Don't judge me!" he said in response.

Hiccup blew air out of his nose like a bull ready to charge and shook his head. "So," he said, turning around, looking at the village, "this is what we have to offer." It had only been one year since Drago's attack, and things were back to normal. Thanks to Toothless and the other dragons, the ice had been cleared and dumped into the ocean while the Berkians took to rebuilding whatever the ice had destroyed.

Granted, it had taken a long time, but now, everything was as it should have been; the buildings were repaired, the ice was disposed of, all the ones who were injured had healed, and Hiccup was used to his life as Chief of Berk...

"Hey, Hiccup!"

...and as a husband to Astrid. He had proposed to her nearly five months ago, and she had said yes instantly (after slapping him in the face and yelling at him for not asking her sooner, of course).

Hiccup looked up at the sky as Astrid rode in on Stormfly, landing her Nadder in front of him and dismounting. "It's beautiful today, isn't it?" Astrid commented as she approached him.

Hiccup nodded, looking at his surroundings halfheartedly. "Have we heard anything from the Lava Louts yet?" he asked after just another moment of silence.

It was the lingering thing tugging at the back of Hiccup's mind ever since he woke up that morning. The Lava Louts were coming to renew a peace treaty...in honesty, though, Hiccup didn't trust them as far as he could throw them. They weren't exactly known to be a peace-loving people group, and although they had never actually tried to do anything rash before, Hiccup wasn't taking any chances.

Besides, he was a new Chief. It was his first renewing a peace treaty. He had seen the affair many times done by his father, but this was his first time doing it himself, and it was a bit nerve wracking.

Astrid shook her head. "Not since their last letter," she said. "They said then that they'll be here today by noon. And...noon isn't too far away now, is it?"

Hiccup looked upwards and looked back down quickly again. He didn't want to be blinded by the sun. "Yeah, soon," he said. "I really just can't wait to get this over with."

"I can tell," Astrid said. "It's always a bit unsettling whenever the Lava Louts come. I don't know about you, but I for one don't trust them. I know we're not supposed to actually say it when we're signing a peace treaty and all, but...well, you know what I mean, don't you?"

Hiccup nodded. "I feel the same way," he admitted. "I guess I'm just a bit worried...but I guess it doesn't really matter, either. I seriously doubt the Lava Louts would do anything offensive." As he spoke, he and Astrid walked through the plaza casually, watching as the other villagers prepared themselves, cleaned the streets, and made sure the dragons were all under control.

Astrid nodded. "I hope not," she said. "For their sakes."

"Good day, Chief! Lovely weather we're having!" a villager called to Hiccup. Hiccup waved back, said, "I agree!" and continued on with Astrid.

"I've never actually done something like this without my father," Hiccup said. "Are you sure everything will work out?"

"Hiccup," Astrid said, "you and I both know that you don't give yourself enough credit." Hiccup and Astrid ducked beneath a log two villagers were carrying and continued casually as if it had never happened. "Just take a moment and think about what you're saying. I think you have it covered."

Hiccup sighed, but knew that he couldn't argue. "You're right," he said. "You usually are. Sorry, I'm just-"

"Stressed?" Astrid offered helpfully.

Hiccup sighed yet again. "Yeah, I guess that's one way to put it," he said.

"Well, you _look_ stressed," Astrid said. "Don't worry about it. It'll be fine, alright?" She kissed his cheek and stared him in the eyes. "I'm serious," she said. "You've got it covered."

Hiccup smiled faintly. "Thank you, Astrid," he said. "I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"You'd be lost," Astrid said kindly. "That's what I'm here for. Making sure you don't beat yourself up over peace treaties and keeping you from - duck." She yanked him downwards as a dragon swooped in above them. " - getting rammed into by dragons," Astrid finished.

"I saw that dragon coming," Hiccup insisted, although he hadn't seen it coming, and he was pretty sure Astrid knew it.

"Oh, you say that now, Hiccup," Astrid said, "but you're in denial."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say," he said. "I'm not going to argue with you. You always win anyways."

"Yes, I do," Astrid grinned. "Now, why don't you go... _not_ worry about the whole peace treaty thing, alright? Noon is still a good two hours away...I'm going to go help Snotlout make sure Hookfang is kept under control."

"Alright," Hiccup said, kissing his wife on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too," Astrid said. "I'll be back in a bit. If I don't see you before the Lava Louts get here, I'll meet you at the docks."

Hiccup nodded. "Sounds good," he said. "See you in a bit."

Astrid smiled at him one last time before turning and walking in the opposite direction. Hiccup watched her until she was out of sight, and as soon as she was, he sighed.

She was right. He shouldn't have been worrying about the Lava Louts. They were coming to renew a peace treaty. It wasn't anything for him to get worked up about. It would be like every other peace treaty; it would start with a tour of the island and then end with a banquet before the signing took place. Hiccup would sign his name, and the Chief of the Lava Louts would sign his own.

There was nothing to worry about.

Right?


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! :D So, once again, not much exciting in this chapter, as you will see. The excitement really begins, I imagine, somewhere around chapter 4, or something like that. Maybe 3, maybe 5, I'm not sure yet. This chapter is just a bit of introduction, and it's one of those "to pass the time" chapters while I work out the events of the future chapters, and the story as a whole.**

 **I've had a few people ask me in the past how long I plan to write fanfiction, and if I would quit as soon as the third movie comes out. Truth be told, I don't know if I'll ever actually "leave" fanfiction for good. I don't know if I'd be able to leave all you amazing people forever. :) I mean, I'll probably take breaks, some longer than others, especially when I get deeper into high school, but yeah. I don't think I'll ever actually leave for good. :)**

 **And yes. Hiccup and Astrid are married in this fanfiction. I can't recall ever writing a full story in which Hiccup and Astrid are actually married, so I guess this will be sort of a new experience for me as a writer. :) I don't think I've done a full story where they were married...I know I've done a few one-shots...eh. Correct me if I'm wrong. :)**

 **Anyways, enjoy chapter 2! :D**

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The horn blew indicating the arrival of the visiting tribe. Hiccup looked himself over, his posture becoming stiff. He wrung his hands together, trying to think and remind himself that nothing would go wrong, and that everything would turn out perfectly in the end. The Lava Louts would sign the treaty, and then leave and not come back for another few years.

"You're worried again," Astrid whispered from where she was standing beside him, speaking so suddenly that Hiccup jumped. He turned in her direction. He had forgotten that she was there."Relax, Hiccup. You've got this. Don't worry."

He wanted to believe her, really, he did, but at the same time, he wasn't going to let his guard down. He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed his back in response. This was going to be _the longest_ renewal of peace treaties Hiccup had ever had to suffer through.

The Lava Lout ships docked on the shores, one by one. Villagers surrounded the docks, voicing their excitements and concerns in hushed tones and harsh whispers. Hiccup kept his eyes fixated on the ships as the planks were lowered and two soldiers - bodyguards, by the looks of it - stepped out and stood at attention.

"The Lava Louts present," one of the soldiers shouted out in a voice that sounded almost too high for the soldier's warrior-like pose, "Chief of the Lava Louts, Chief Fearsome!"

The Chief stepped down off the plank and onto the deck. Hiccup forced himself to maintain eye contact. Fearsome studied the area with his sickly green eyes, and Hiccup held his breath without fully thinking about what he was doing.

"And," the soldier continued, "his daughter, heir of the Lava Louts, Fire Lily."

A girl stepped off the ship and stood behind her father. She was wearing a simple dress she looked uncomfortable in, and her black hair was braided to the side with a flower behind one of her ears.

Fearsome extended his hand to Hiccup, and Hiccup gave it a firm shake after a moment of hesitation. "Ah, Hiccup," Fearsome said. "It's great to see you again. Last time I saw you, in fact, you were much shorter."

Hiccup nodded absently.

"Where's your father?" Fearsome asked.

Hiccup dropped his gaze for a moment before reinforcing eye contact. "My father was killed in battle nearly a year ago," he explained in a flat tone so he wouldn't betray any emotions. "I'm Chief of Berk."

Fearsome looked shocked, yet nodded. "Ah, your father was a great man," he said dolefully. "I'm sure his death was grievous."

Hiccup nodded. _Change the subject, change the subject,_ he told himself. Fire Lily stepped forward and curtsied politely. "Hello," she said in mid bend of knees. "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."

Hiccup bowed in response. "Yours as well, Fire Lily," he said. "And just Hiccup will do."

Fearsome put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I apologize for any odd behavior and hard time my daughter may give you," he said. "She's-"

"She's not doing anything," Astrid said, almost angrily. "She's being polite." Astrid curtsied hastily, and Hiccup could tell it was because she didn't like curtsying. "It's nice to meet you too, Fire Lily," she said.

"Oh, Fearsome," Hiccup said, stepping aside, "this is my wife, Astrid." Astrid stepped forward as Hiccup was still speaking, her eyes on the Lava Lout Chief.

"I remember her," Fearsome said. He looked angry at Astrid standing up to him, but made no comment out loud, which Hiccup was secretly thankful for. They didn't need to start a war over nothing. "Nice to see you again, Astrid." He shook her hand and looked back at Hiccup. "Are we ready for the tour now?" he asked.

Hiccup nodded, and began leading the Chief, his daughter, and the other visiting Lava Louts through Berk.

He liked giving the visiting tribes tours of the island, simply because tours were laid back. Nothing could go wrong during a tour, and for that, Hiccup was grateful. Tours were a way he relaxed and grew acquainted with the members of the visiting tribe.

The first place he stopped at was the Dragon Academy, which was run by Fishlegs and Gustav. It wasn't a big Academy, and it wasn't always in session, but it was still active at least two to three times a week while Gustav and Fishlegs trained new recruits. "This is our Academy," Hiccup said, stopping in front of what was once the Berkian kill ring. "I used to be the head of it, but now two of my friends run it."

Fearsome looked it over slowly. "I'm surprised you don't kill dragons anymore, Hiccup," he admitted, "but I suppose it's for the best. It's a lot safer around here...much more quiet. But don't you ever worry that maybe one of the dragons will turn on you?"

Hiccup knew that would never happen, and really, he didn't feel very comfortable with the Chief bringing it up. Hiccup shook his head feverishly. "Of course not," he said as if he'd been slapped. "My dragon, Toothless, is the Alpha. He would never hurt anyone, and he would never let another dragon hurt anyone, either. Should we move on?"

The Chief of the Lava Louts simply shrugged, and they continued on with the tour. Valka approached them, waving a hand in their direction.

"Fearsome," Hiccup said, "this is my mother, Valka Haddock."

The Chief looked beyond shocked as he shook Valka's hand, and Hiccup supposed it made sense. The last thing Fearsome heard from Valka was Stoick telling him that she had been killed in a dragon raid. "I thought your mother was killed by dragons," he said.

"My death was exaggerated," Valka said. "The dragons didn't kill me. They simply took me. No problem. I'm alive and well, see?" She looked at Hiccup. "Sorry I wasn't there for their arrival," she said.

"It's fine," Hiccup said casually. "We're just in the middle of the tour now."

Valka nodded. "Alright," she said. "I'll leave you to it, then. I'm going to help Snotlout and the twins at the Great Hall." She smiled at him one last time before turning and heading in the opposite direction, going her own way.

Fearsome smiled. "Your mother seems nice," he said. "It's no surprise where your looks came from. You look almost exactly like her!"

Hiccup smiled nervously. "I get that a lot," he said. "Now, should we move on?"

He turned and led them through Berk, unsettled by their presence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, Dragonites! :D How do you all do today? You doing well? I'm doing pretty good. School is...well...school, but I managed to type out this chapter for ya'll. ;) I hope you enjoy it! I really, honestly do. It's settled: the NEXT chapter, the one after this, is going to be where the story really kicks off. This is...well, you'll see what it is. ;) No spoilers from me! :D**

 **I finished How to Train Your Dragon book 7, and I loved it! Book 8 and 9 are on their way to me right now...gosh this series has gone so fast...great series, really.**

 **Oh, and I wanted to tell you something REALLY FUNNY that happened. So, my younger siblings were playing with their HTTYD tiny action figures in the same room with me, and all of a sudden, I hear one of them shout, "NO ONE CAN KILL OUR CHIEF...AND LIVE!" and I literally broke out laughing, and they were all looking at me like "What? What?" (They have the HTTYD2 action figues)**

 **It was so cute and sad and hilarious all at once...**

 **Ohhhhhhh boy...**

 **Anyways, enjoy chapter 3! Let me know what you think, if you fancy! Constructive criticism? I'm always open! :D Enjoy chapter 3! :D**

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"And this is our Great Hall," Hiccup announced as they passed said building. "We're having our feast there later tonight, before the signing."

The Chief of the Lava Louts nodded. "Aye, sounds wonderful. Carry on." Hiccup turned and began walking in the opposite direction, announcing random facts as he went. However, Fire Lily heard whispering coming from behind the Great Hall, and couldn't help but wonder what it was.

Slowly, after making sure that no one was watching her, she turned and headed towards the back.

What she saw shocked her.

Two Lava Lout soldiers were behind the hall, tampering with the barrels of drinks they were going to be using that night. She watched as one of the soldiers pulled out a vial and poured it into an open barrel. Then, he turned and did the same with all the other ones.

One of them giggled. "They'll never find us out, aye, mate?" he said.

The other one elbowed him. "Quiet, you," he hissed angrily, raising his voice as high as he dared. Fire Lily ducked behind the wall, keeping a close eye on the two members of her tribe.

 _What are they doing?_ she wondered to herself. _They're not supposed to be over here. Why...what are they doing? What's in that vial?_

"If they do find us out," the second guard continued, "we're dead meat. We can't let them know what we're doing, got it? This is the only way to make sure the peace treaty between the Lava Louts and the Berkians doesn't work."

"But poisoning the Berkians...isn't this a little bit extreme?" the first soldier asked.

 _POISON!?_ Fire Lily thought wildly. _They're poisoning the Berkians!? I have to tell my father...I have to_ do _something before it's too late!_

She spun around to race back and tell the others of her discovery, only to bump into a third Lava Lout soldier. She gasped, opening her mouth to scream, a sound not escaping before a hand was enclosed over her mouth.

"Hey!" the soldier called to the other two, who instantly turned and looked in his direction. "Look what I found!" He tossed Fire Lily forward, and she fell on her face in front of the other soldiers.

"She heard everything," the soldier hissed. "We can't let her live."

"But we can't just kill her, either," the second soldier said. He took out a dagger and aimed it at the girl's throat. "Or, actually...maybe we can." He leaned forward. "Listen here, Fire Lily," he said, right in her face. "If you tell any of the Berkians about what we're planning to do, we will kill you, and the others of the tribe, and the Berkians as well. Got it?"

Although Fire Lily's mind was screaming at her to say no and be strong, she found herself nodding in confirmation. Sure, she wouldn't tell them. Not when her life was at stake. "B-But wait," she whispered. "D-Do the other Lava Louts know about this? Are you all in on it?"

The soldiers laughed quietly. "Of course," one of the soldiers said. "They're the ones who told us to do it. Now, no telling anyone, right?"

Fire Lily nodded, although in her mind she was thinking, _How could my tribe betray the Berkians? And how could I have had no say in it? How dare they?_

"Good," the soldier said, withdrawing his dagger and turning around. "Now, go join up with the others, and remember, Fire Lily. Say _nothing_. Now go!" He kicked her, and she scrambled to her feet and raced back towards her group.

 _They're going to kill the Berkians,_ her mind told her.

 _I have to warn them._

 _But I can't. Not without dying myself. I'm not willing to die for someone else to be saved._

 _But it's not just one person. It's the entire island. Everyone here except the Lava Louts. I have to tell them._

 _No, I can't._

She ran to join up with the others, and smashed headlong into Astrid. Astrid stepped backwards, rubbing her head and looking at Fire Lily with concern.

"Hey, there you are," she said. "We were wondering where you were."

"Oh, just...you know. Looking at the Great Hall a little longer," Fire Lily said quickly. "Now, come on. We don't want to miss the rest of the tour." She turned and raced off without another word, although her conscious clearly told her to do elsewise. She needed to tell Astrid the truth. She needed to.

But at the same time…

Astrid looked at her suspiciously, but then, she shook her head. "Okay…? If you say so," Astrid said slowly. "Come on, let's go." She followed the younger girl back to the group.

…

The evening came sooner than later, and both the tribes were meeting at the Great Hall. Hiccup and Astrid were there, looking over final preparations with Valka, Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins as Lava Louts and Berkians continued to arrive.

"It's going wonderfully, Hiccup," Valka said. "I'm so proud of you. This is exciting. It's been twenty some years since I've last seen a treaty signing…"

Hiccup shrugged. "I guess I'm a little bit excited myself," he said. "The Lava Louts don't seem as barbaric right now as they usually are. I wonder if there's a reason."

Astrid shook her head. "I doubt it," she said. "You know, tribes are capable of change, Hiccup. I told you it was alright. Nothing to worry about."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah," he said. "So, you win again."

Astrid nodded. She turned around and looked as Lava Louts and Berkians found their places and sat down, nearly filling the Great Hall. "I think we're ready," she whispered to Hiccup.

"Yeah, me too," Hiccup replied. "You two go ahead. I'm going to make the toast."

Astrid and the others nodded before heading off and sitting at their own table. Hiccup stood up, took a cup off a table, and motioned for silence.

"Lava Louts and Berkians have been at peace for many years," he said. He was worried he was going to say something stupid, but at the same time, he knew that worrying would only make it worse. "And for that, Berk thanks you, Lava Louts. To the peace treaty!" he called at length, raising his cup.

"To the peace treaty!" the others called in unison. Just before they drank, a voice shouted from the audience.

"WAIT!"

Hiccup's eyes scanned the crowd and watched as Fire Lily stumbled forward, a terrified expression on her face. "Um...Chief Hiccup," she began. "I...I need to talk to you. In...in private, if I may."

Now _this_ was odd. Hiccup studied Fire Lily carefully. Her eyes were pleading, and there was a terrified expression in them Hiccup simply couldn't ignore. He looked at her, asking silently, _What's wrong?_ although he knew he couldn't get an answer.

Not unless he talked to her in private, as she had requested.

"Fire Lily," the Chief of the Lava Louts said, rising from his seat, "you are interrupting-"

"No, it's alright," Hiccup said, setting his chalice down and approaching the girl. Fire Lily looked at him with grateful, relieved eyes as soon as he got close enough. Hiccup found her behavior odd. Something must have really been wrong for her to be acting like this. "Come on, we can talk."

Fire Lily nodded and bowed her head.

Astrid watched the scene unfold in confusion. She didn't know what was going on, but she wasn't going to voice any complaints. Fire Lily looked desperate, and even if she wasn't desperate, Hiccup still would have taken the time to talk to her.

"We'll wait up for you two," Astrid assured. "But if you can hurry…"

"Can do," Hiccup nodded. "Thanks, Astrid." He motioned for Fire Lily to follow him, and she did without hesitation. Hiccup led her to a back room, shutting the door after both of them had entered.

"Alright," Hiccup said, turning around to face her, "what-"

"The Lava Louts poisoned your drinks," Fire Lily blurted.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, this is where things REALLY get started! That's all I'm going to say! :D Enjoy chapter 4! :D**

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The look of fury that crossed Hiccup's face was something like Fire Lily had never seen before.

" _What?"_ he exclaimed in absolute shock. Hiccup took a step backwards, unable to believe what Fire Lily was saying to him. "What...what do you mean? How could-"

"I had no idea what they were doing," Fire Lily promised desperately. "I saw two of them earlier pouring some weird looking stuff into barrels, and they said it was poison. They also said that my father was completely into it...they said he ordered it."

Hiccup stepped back again, putting his hand against his forehead. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Lava Louts were trying to _poison_ them? That explained why they were being so friendly to them earlier...it explained a lot of their behavior, actually.

"I can't believe this," he growled. Really, he was more angry than anything. He shouldn't have trusted those traitors. He should have trusted his instincts of not buying their lies. "My first peace treaty signing as Chief of Berk and the first thing the opposite tribe tries to do is kill us."

What was he supposed to do _now?_

"I'm so sorry, Chief Hiccup," Fire Lily said. "I swear, I had nothing to do with this. I don't know why they think they can...but please don't tell anyone I told you! They said they would kill me if I told you!"

"They won't have a chance," Hiccup said. He was still in shock, but he was angry now. "As soon as my tribe knows, your tribe will be in the dungeons. They won't be able to hurt you, I promise. We'll think about what to do with them later. Right now, we need to focus on bringing their treachery to light. Understood?"

Fire Lily choked on a sob and nodded feverishly. Hiccup lifted her head with two fingers under her chin, and she met his eyes. She was only thirteen, and it probably took a lot of courage for her to tell Hiccup what she just told him.

"You did the right thing, Fire Lily," he said. "Thank you."

Fire Lily nodded, and afterwards, they stepped out of the room, Hiccup mentally planning what he was going to say.

"Oh, he's back," Astrid said, standing and approaching Hiccup. "Hiccup, what was it? What was wrong?"

"I have another announcement," Hiccup said. "Here goes." He stood up in front of the others and clapped his hands together. "Now," he said. _Oh gods, how am I going to put this?_ "First of all…" He took in a deep breath and raised his hand. "Why are you Lava Louts trying to kill us?"

The question sent a chorus of confused whispers, coming mostly from the Lava Louts. Hiccup knew that, according to Fire Lily, her father had ordered the poison, which meant he probably told his people, which meant that he'd probably told them to "play dumb" if anyone grew suspicious.

"What is he talking about?" a Lava Lout whispered.

The Berkians took steps away from the Lava Louts, equally confused, but trusting their Chief wholeheartedly.

Hiccup put his hands up for silence. The whispers were steadily rising to outrageous shouts, and Hiccup didn't want that to happen. Astrid stood beside him, ready to back him up if he needed it, and as soon as the hall was quiet again, Hiccup continued.

"Your heir," Hiccup said, "Fire Lily, said that she saw soldiers poisoning our drinks earlier today." Gasps echoed throughout the hall. "And she said…" Hiccup swallowed. _Wonderful treaty signing,_ he thought bitterly. "She said that the soldiers said she did it on the order of Chief Fearsome."

Fearsome gasped. "I did no such thing!" he said. "My daughter is lying!"

"I know what I saw, father," Fire Lily said in a choked voice. "I'm sorry."

"Hey!" a Berkian shouted - it sounded like Snotlout, and it wouldn't have surprised Hiccup. Snotlout was always very outspoken. "If you're so sure it's not poisoned, Fearsome, drink it yourself!"

"YEAH!" the others agreed. "DRINK IT YOURSELF!"

"No, no!" Hiccup shouted putting up his hands desperately, trying to get his voice over the shouts. "Stop this!" he said. "We aren't going to do this!"

"Hey, how about YOU drink it!" a Lava Lout shouted. Hiccup swallowed hard.

"QQQQQQQQQQQUUUUUUUUUUUUUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTT!" Astrid screamed, and instantly, the hall fell quiet. "COULD YOU ALL SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO THE CHIEF FOR ONE SINGLE MOMENT, PLEASE!?"

"Thank you, Astrid," Hiccup whispered, and Astrid nodded to him. Hiccup looked back at the Chief of the Lava Louts and crossed his arms. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked.

"I did not poison anything!" the Chief of the Lava Louts insisted. "Drink it, Hiccup, and I can assure your safety."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. He couldn't trust the Chief of the Lava Louts, he knew that now, but if he didn't drink it, there would be no evidence to back up his accusation. And if he didn't drink it, someone else would, and if it was poisoned, they would suffer, and Hiccup didn't want anyone of his people to suffer.

So, he reached over and picked the chalice up off the table.

"Hiccup," Astrid gasped.

"This is an act of trust," Hiccup shouted, ignoring his wife and raising his cup over his head. "I don't want to believe that any of you would ever poison me, but...we're renewing a peace treaty. If that's what you've really come to do, then I'm going to drink this and hope that I live. My life is in the hands of whoever did or did not poison it."

Without another word or warning elsewise, he downed the contents of the cup.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted at the same time Valka did. Hiccup lowered the cup, waiting for the effects of the poison to set in.

But nothing happened.

Moments passed, and still, nothing happened. Hiccup felt himself sigh with relief. _Maybe Fire Lily saw something else,_ he told himself. _Yes, she probably did._

"It's fine," Hiccup said simply.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he felt as though someone were choking him. He coughed once, trying to get the lump out of his throat, but it only seemed to make it worse. He felt like someone was forcing something up his throat irregularly, and yet he couldn't clear it away or swallow it.

Everyones' heads whipped in his direction. Breathing became harder. He put his hand against his throat, but when his knees buckled a moment later, he stopped to put his hands forward to brace himself against the ground. He dry heaved, trying to get air that simply didn't seem there.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, racing towards him. She collapsed by his side, putting her hand on his back, her other hand looking as though it wanted to grab him and pull him into an embrace. "Hiccup...Hiccup, breathe," Astrid coaxed, but even then it only did so much. At length, after nearly dry heaving up his lungs, he made a move to stand.

"I'm alright," he lied. "Just...just help me up…" She offered him her hand, and he took it, letting her pull him upwards.

"Alright," Astrid said, putting her hand on his back once again. He was still bent over nearly double, and Astrid kept her arm positioned around his chest. "Alright, come on, easy does it. Sit down and we'll get a healer for you, alright? Easy, Hiccup."

Before they got far, the tightness in his throat returned. His legs felt like straws, feeble and unable to bear his weight. He fell back towards the ground with a pinch of terror.

Astrid caught him and cradled him, holding him in her arms, sitting on the ground and checking him over although by her panicked features she already knew what the problem was. Hiccup glanced over at the other villagers, who were seizing the Lava Louts, weapons aimed, ropes in their other hands. The Lava Louts remained stunned in shock as the Berkians began tying them up.

Fire Lily was the only one who wasn't surrounded by Berkian soldiers, and Hiccup figured that it was because she was the one who told them about the poison in their cups.

Hiccup thought all of this in only a split second, because the next thing he knew, he was gagging again, coughing and gasping for breath although it didn't help in the slightest. He felt the need to vomit, but he couldn't even do that. He felt like he was being strangled by imaginary hands wrapped around his throat, choking the life out of him breath by breath.

"Hiccup, Hiccup," Astrid begged desperately, "shhh, shh, I've got you...oh my gods, don't die. Don't die…don't die, please. Hiccup...Hiccup, breathe...breathe, please...I've got you, shhhh..."

It wasn't as though Hiccup _couldn't_ breathe. It was just as though in order to breathe, he had to suck in a breath so deep it felt as though his lungs were going to explode. And whenever he did that, it left him struggling and suffering in a coughing fit. His chest felt oddly clogged and tight, and that didn't make breathing any easier.

"Someone get a healer!" a terrorized villager shouted. Hiccup could barely keep himself focused on anything else, so he kept his eyes fixated on his wife as she soothed him, caressing his forehead and his cheek gently with shaking, terrified hands.

Then, suddenly, Hiccup couldn't breathe at all. He tried gasping, but there was no air for him to grab. He was suffocating, his chest growing tighter and his throat feeling constricted. He started panicking; he couldn't breathe. He was going to die.

His mind went fuzzy. He heard lots of people shout, but he was dizzying, the edges of his vision blackening. He heard people scream in terrified tones, but he couldn't figure out which voice belonged to which person.

"I'm losing him! Someone help me!"

"Where's that healer!?"

"Someone do something!"

"He isn't breathing!"

"OH MY GOSH."

"Hiccup...HICCUP!"

Hiccup's world spiralled into darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5! :D And just to clarify, this story does NOT take place in the "I'm Your Brother!" universe. I just wanted to clarify that.**

 **It's funny, since I've written that AU where Hiccup and Heather are brother and sister, I just can't see them any other way. Like, I read the archives on fanfiction, just to see what the other writers here are writing about, and whenever I see a HiccupxHeather story, I instantly think, "But they're brother and sister," and then I remember that Hiccup and Heather being brother and sister isn't actually canon...**

 **Oh well. Silly me. This is me: :P DERP. I a derp. :P**

* * *

As soon as Hiccup fell unconscious, Astrid panicked. The Lava Louts really _had_ poisoned the drinks, which meant that Hiccup was right, they shouldn't have trusted the Lava Louts. Hiccup was right about feeling uneasy, and Astrid was right, too, when she admitted to him that she didn't trust the Lava Louts.

But she could think about that later.

Right now, her husband wasn't breathing.

She laid him out on the ground in front of her as Berkians crowded around the duo, creating a circle. She was panicking. She was panicking, panicking, panicking...she didn't even know what to _do_ anymore...

"Let me through, let me through!" Valka's voice cut through the crowd as she raced forward, throwing herself down beside her son. She put her fingers at Hiccup's neck and withdrew them sharply.

"He doesn't have a pulse," she whispered in horror.

 _He doesn't have a pulse_ "NO!" Astrid shouted, surging forward and folding her hands over Hiccup's chest. She pushed down repeatedly; one, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, as she tried to get her husband to breathe.

"Everyone, step back!" Valka ordered, and the surrounding Berkians did as they were told, fanning outwards as Astrid continued to try and save Hiccup. She wasn't going to let him die. She just _wouldn't._ She _couldn't_ , especially not because of something as simple as poison.

She pinched his nose closed and tried giving him some air, and afterwards, went right back to chest compressions, pleading and begging silently for him to live. It took longer than she hoped, but at length, Hiccup gasped, coughing and choking. There was a sickening gurgle in his throat, and Astrid rolled him over on his side just before he, still unconscious, vomited whatever was in his stomach. Astrid rubbed his back soothingly, trying to fight down her terror that rose in her own throat like bile.

She looked back as the Berkians - Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs namely - led the Lava Louts away, presumably to prison. The Chief was the only one giving them issues.

"I didn't know anything about this!" he protested loudly. "Let me go! He could be faking it! Maybe lying so the treaty doesn't work out!"

Astrid's blood boiled, but she didn't move from her spot by Hiccup's side. She continued rubbing his back, her movements gentle, relieved that he was breathing again. Those moments of terror were too much for her. She put her other hand against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her palm. There was a rasp in his throat that Astrid didn't like, and Hiccup was breathing more in than he was out. He was hardly exhaling at all, yet he was gasping madly.

She stroked his hair away from his eyes soothingly. "Shh," she whispered softly. "It's okay. Just breathe. Keep breathing…"

"The healer's here!" a villager - he sounded like Gustav - announced as he raced forward, a young healer girl hot on his heels. The crowds parted to let the healer through, and as soon as she did, she knelt beside her patient. She put her hand on his forehead and checked his pulse.

"We need to get him cool, quickly," she said. "He's burning up. And we need a stretcher."

After a few moments of the villagers running about madly, the healer had everything that she needed, and she was quick about putting a wet rag on Hiccup's forehead and, with the help of Astrid and Valka, moving him onto the stretcher laid out before them. After another moment, the healer took one side of the stretcher while Valka took the other side. Astrid grabbed Hiccup's hand and held it tightly, refusing to let go.

They headed towards the Haddock residence.

…

Astrid tucked the blankets more firmly around Hiccup's unconscious body, caressing his cheek with concern. She could feel he had a fever now; in her panic earlier, she hadn't noticed it. But now she did, and it worried her.

Valka looked back at the healer with worry in her eyes. "Do you know what kind of poison it is?" she asked, taking a small step towards her son and daughter in law. "What of a cure? What should we do?"

"I must admit," the healer said, "that I haven't seen many poisons in the past, but I've studied them. I've heard of this one before, where the victim struggles to breathe, falls unconscious, and then gets fevers. I'll just have to check my books for a cure. Maybe someone could talk to the Lava Louts and try to get the truth out of them."

"I'll do it," Astrid growled. "I'll get the truth out of those barbarians." She wasn't going to have it any other way. She promised revenge on the ones who poisoned and nearly killed her husband.

The healer nodded. "Alright," she said. "Just make sure you watch out for some of his later symptoms. They shouldn't be as serious, but of course, you still need to be ready for them."

"What are they?" Astrid asked. She was almost too afraid to know.

"Well…" the healer began, almost nervously as she looked at Valka and Astrid, "he'll start shivering abnormally...his body temperature will drop, most likely. You need to keep him warm when that happens, or he could get worse. He'll probably get nauseated, too. Make sure he stays hydrated and eats something...even if it's just something like broth, if he can keep it down."

"Will the poison kill him?" Valka asked worriedly. Astrid had been thinking the same thing; what if the poison killed him? She didn't think she could stand losing Hiccup.

"No," the healer said quickly. "It will just make him sick, like this, and he'll be like this until we administer the cure."

"He's in pain," Astrid said, sitting next to Hiccup on the bed, stroking his hair. She wasn't looking at Valka or the healer, but she could almost feel them staring at her. "Don't you think it's likely to get worse?" She kept her eyes glued to Hiccup's unconscious, grimacing face as she reached over to the side, grabbing a wet cloth out of a bucket of cold water and placing it on his forehead to give him comfort and to cool him down.

"If it does get worse," Valka said, looking to the healer once again, "what do we do? Is there something we can give him for the pain?"

The healer didn't look like she had been expecting either one of the questions. She hesitated for a few moments before answering. "I'll bring you some herbs for the pain," she said. "As for him getting worse...hopefully we'll have the cure for it by then. I'm sure we will."

For some odd, unspoken reason, Astrid didn't feel reassured.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, peoples! :D This is chapter 6...and there's a surprise at the end. I just have to say it. :) I think right now I have a pretty good idea of where this story is going, so, yes. It's always nice to know what I'm writing towards. ;) Anyways, enjoy chapter 6! :D**

* * *

"Astrid," Valka said as soon as the healer had left, leaving Astrid and Valka alone with Hiccup, still unconscious, "I'm going to talk to the Lava Louts if you want to stay here."

Astrid shook her head. She didn't want to leave Hiccup, of course, but she had a few choice words (and weapons) for those Lava Louts.

"No, I want to talk to them," she said. "I think I might be more…" She glanced down at her axe still in its sheath. "...persuasive," she decided. "Since they did it intentionally, it's not like they're going to just tell us the cure straightforward, is it?" She would have to scare it out of them. Force it out of them with weapons if she had to.

Valka sighed. "I suppose not," she said. "I'll stay with Hiccup while you go, then." Astrid could see the hidden terror behind the woman's eyes, yet made no comment simply because she just as scared as Valka was for Hiccup's health. She nodded simply, kissed Hiccup's cheek and rose to a stand.

"Take care of him, Valka, please," Astrid said.

"I will," Valka promised. "You know I will." Without another word elsewise, Astrid turned and raced down the staircase.

She had a few things to say to the Lava Louts that may or may not require the use of her axe.

She stormed straight towards the Berkian prison. She didn't even have to state the reason she was there to the guards before she was let in. She stomped straight towards the cell, and grappled the bars.

The Lava Louts inside the cell - Fearsome and three other soldiers - jumped backwards, obviously not expecting Astrid's arrival. She clenched her teeth and hissed through them sharply.

" _Why did you do it?"_ she snarled.

Fearsome took another step backwards as if Astrid would rip the bars apart and chop his head off. For a moment, Astrid considered doing just that. Fearsome and the Lava Louts certainly deserved it. "We did nothing," he said.

Astrid barked a cold, harsh laugh. "Sure, sure," she said. "Still in denial? If you're so sure you didn't do it, do me a big fat favor and explain the poison."

"I don't know anything about the poison!" the Chief of the Lava Louts insisted and Astrid clenched her teeth, practically grinding them together. The Lava Louts were just lucky there were bars separating her from them. "I promise you, we would never do anything to hurt you!" the Chief finished.

"Then why!?" Astrid yelled. "WHY DID YOU TRY TO KILL US!?"

Fearsome looked terrified by her. "Astrid Haddock," he said, trying to keep his calm although by the waiver to his voice, he was failing, "I am sorry for what happened to your husband-"

"SORRY!?" Astrid blurted. She could not _believe_ the nerve of these people. "YOU'RE SORRY!? OH, GOOD! GOOD. ALTHOUGH BEING SORRY DOESN'T HELP OUR SITUATION! YOU STILL POISONED HIM!"

"We did not poison anyone!" Fearsome insisted. "If my soldiers did, I apologize, but please don't blame me for it-"

"DON'T BLAME YOU!?" Astrid shouted. "YOU'RE THE CHIEF! HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOUR SOLDIERS ARE TRYING TO POISON AN ENTIRE ISLAND!?" She felt as though her head was going to explode. She was so angry that her body felt hot.

Fearsome cowered. "You have to believe me, Astrid," he said.

The former Hofferson looked at him, appalled. "I can't believe you think I would believe you after what you did to Hiccup!" she exclaimed. "And not just that, but you tried to poison us _all._ What do you have to say for yourselves!?"

The three soldiers stood up in front of their Chief, but one glare from Astrid sent them back to their scared, cowardly states. They looked at the ground. _Are you the soldiers who dumped the poison into the drinks?_ Astrid wondered briefly. She was clenching the prison bars so tightly that her knuckles were white. _You will pay for what you did. All of you._

But for now, she knew that she didn't need to be focused on revenge. She needed to keep her mind set on finding out whether or not they had the cure. She didn't want to see Hiccup in pain any longer than was necessary. She hated seeing him in pain _period_.

"What's the cure?" she snarled. "If you're not going to come clean and admit what you did-" _Treacherous fiends,_ she added silently, "-then at least tell us where we can get the cure."

"If I knew what the cure was," Fearsome began, "I would tell you. Please, trust me, I would, but I don't know anything about a poison or a cure. I thought Hiccup was faking it. I thought he was caving in under the pressure."

"You _seriously_ think someone can _fake_ something like that!?" Astrid shouted. She shook her head quickly. She felt dizzy all of a sudden, and ignored it as best as she could. _I'm getting worked up,_ she told herself. _I need to take a deep breath...calm myself, and…_

"TELL ME WHAT THE CURE IS OR I WILL CUT YOU TO LITTLE BITE SIZED PIECES AND FEED YOU TO THE DRAGONS MYSELF!" she practically screamed.

The Lava Louts pressed themselves against the wall with panic written plainly on their faces. _Yeah, you better be scared!_ Astrid shouted mentally. She was beginning to get even angrier with them, if that was even possible. For a moment, she considered asking the guards for the keys, and if they didn't give her entrance to the cell, she would rip the bars off and kill the Lava Louts herself.

"Don't try my patience!" she warned.

"We wouldn't dare!" one of the soldiers squeaked.

Astrid growled under her breath. They weren't breaking. She couldn't get the truth out of them.

 _Not yet, anyways_ , she thought. "I'll be back tomorrow," she promised, "and when I am, you had _better be ready_ to give me the cure, or there will be consequences. I will not ask again." She let go of the bars, brushed her hands together, and headed back outside. She stormed past the guards waiting outside, and stopped.

She felt dizzy all of a sudden, although she didn't know why. Her head spun, and she felt as though she were going to be sick. She froze in place, put her hand against her head...she felt as though she were falling…

It all happened so suddenly...

"ASTRID!"

That was the last thing she heard before she hit the ground, unconscious.

…

Astrid woke up in the healer's abode.

She sat up in bed, looking around, assessing her surroundings. It was empty save for herself; empty beds for the sick and injured were lined up against the wall. The only occupied one was her own.

She paused a moment to wonder briefly, _What happened?_ The last thing she remembered was collapsing...but she didn't remember why. She remembered being dizzy, but there was nothing she did that could have made her collapse the way she did, so suddenly, too.

She didn't _feel_ sick, either. A little lightheaded, maybe, but not sick. Not like she would collapse or pass out.

The door opened and shut, and Astrid turned her head as the healer walked in. The healer nodded in her direction with a small smile. "Good," she said, "you're up."

Astrid rubbed at her head. She didn't have a headache, and she didn't remember hitting her head. She thought maybe she had been knocked out by something and simply hadn't noticed it, but she didn't have any bumps or bruises on her head. "What happened?" she asked.

"According to Snotlout, you collapsed," the healer explained. There was no worry in her tone, and Astrid wondered why. If someone randomly collapsed, she would have been pretty freaked out. "He brought you here just a little while ago...I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

Astrid shrugged. She was impatient. The healer wasn't telling her why she had collapsed, and thereby, Astrid didn't want to hear what she had to say. "So, do you know why I collapsed?" she asked. "Am I sick? Is something wrong? Please, just tell me and get it over with. What do I have?"

The healer shook her head. "You're not sick, Astrid," she said. Then, the healer smiled. "You're pregnant," she said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, friends! Wonderful, lovely people you all are! :D So, I know I'm leaving you guys in suspense with the poison and the Lava Lout soldiers, and so yes, sorry about that. And yeah, PLOT TWIST! :D Hiccup and Astrid gonna be PARENTS! WHEEEE! :D Enjoy chapter 7! :D**

* * *

Astrid found that she couldn't speak. For a few moments, she couldn't even _breathe_. She and Hiccup had always talked about having kids, ever since they were first married, but now that Astrid was hearing that she was pregnant, her mind went blank. She wanted to scream it to the world, she was so happy about it.

"You're serious?" she asked. Her smile was so wide it was in danger of breaking her face in half.

The healer nodded eagerly. "Yes," she said. "You're pregnant."

That was...that was…

This was…

Wow.

Wow.

Just _wow_. She wasn't so sure how to respond. She didn't know how she was _expected_ to respond. She was pregnant. Hiccup was going to be a father. The healer confirmed it.

They were going to be parents.

Hearing it a second time from the healer made Astrid squeal. She surged forward, hugging the healer for a moment without fully thinking about what she was doing. She felt the need to hug _something_ , simply because she just couldn't believe it.

Wow.

The healer laughed nervously, pushing Astrid off her.

"This is great!" Astrid exclaimed, pushing he bangs behind her ear. "I can't wait to tell Hiccup…" She suddenly thought about how her husband was unconscious, and felt her heart sink. She knew the poison wouldn't kill Hiccup, but still. She was so excited...yet at the same time, she was so worried for Hiccup...

The healer must have noticed, because she put her hand on Astrid's shoulder.

"I found a cure for the poison," the healer said. "I told Snotlout. He said that he's going to go with Fishlegs and the twins to go get it. They should be back in a few days, but until then…" She reached over, taking a small bottle off the table. "If Hiccup is in pain," she said, "just give him two spoonfuls of this. It should help."

She held it out, and Astrid took it. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you, thank you." Her mind seemed to be exploding with news; she was pregnant, and Hiccup was going to be alright. She wasn't worried about Snotlout, Fishlegs or the twins getting in trouble; they were idiots sometimes, but for the most part, they just wanted to help.

The healer nodded towards the door. "Just be careful, and try not to get yourself worked up like that again," she said as Astrid made for the door. "It's not good for the baby."

"I'll do my best," Astrid said simply over her shoulder as she bolted away.

She couldn't wait to tell Hiccup.

When she got back to the Haddock residence, she walked in without knocking, beaming the entire time. She was going to be a mother, Valka was going to be a grandmother, and Hiccup was going to be a father.

That was…

Well, it seemed almost too good to be true.

"Valka?" Astrid called as she climbed the stairs. When she finally made it to the top of the stairs, she was met by the sight of Hiccup's mother bending over her son, pressing a wet rag against his head.

Valka turned around and smiled faintly at the younger girl, although her eyes were worried. "You were gone for over an hour, Astrid," she said. "Are you alright?"

Astrid nodded. "Yes, I'm fine," she said. _I'm BETTER than fine_ , she added silently, hardly able to contain herself. She couldn't wait to tell Valka or Hiccup the news the healer had given her.

Valka looked uncertain, but she didn't argue. "Alright," she said. "Did you learn anything from the Lava Louts?"

Astrid shook her head. "No, unfortunately," Astrid admitted, "but the healer said she found the cure. Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs are getting it. She gave me this if he's in pain." She set the bottle down on the table and approached the bedside. She tried to keep a straight face, but whenever she remembered the life-changing news the healer gave her, keeping a straight face was just about impossible. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"His fever's going down," Valka replied, "but he hasn't woken up yet. I'm sure he will after his fever breaks and he gets some strength built up again…" She looked at Astrid, her eyes confused. "What are you so happy about?" she asked.

And Astrid couldn't hold it in any longer. "Valka," Astrid said, "I'm pregnant."

Valka's face was priceless. At first, she looked too shocked to say anything, but then, she smiled. "You...you are?" the older woman asked in absolute shock. Astrid nodded excitedly. "Oh, Thor, Astrid!" Valka said. "That is so exciting!" She hugged her daughter in law, and Astrid hugged her back. "I'm so happy for you!" she said. "Just wait until you tell Hiccup! Oh, he'll probably cheer from the rooftops when he finds out!"

Astrid half-laughed. She was pretty sure Hiccup _would_ do that, as soon as he possibly could. "You're probably right," she said. "I'll tell him a little bit later, after he wakes up. He looks awful."

It was a mood-killer, those last three words, but it was true.

Valka looked back at her son with a pained expression before looking back at Astrid. "I'm going to get some soup for him at the Great Hall," she said.

Astrid nodded. "Alright, I'll stay with him," she said.

"Do you need anything?" Valka asked.

Astrid shook her head. "No, but thank you," she said.

Valka nodded. "Oh, this is so exciting," she said. "I'm going to be a grandmother." Before Astrid could reply, Valka was down the stairs and out the door. Astrid shook her head with a half laugh, sitting next to Hiccup on the bed again.

She really hoped he woke up soon.

…

Hiccup's head spun as he was finally dragged back into consciousness. His head was pounding madly, and breathing was difficult. For a few moments, he didn't know what had happened, or where he was.

"Hiccup?" the voice of Astrid whispered, followed by the comforting feeling of her fingers running through his hair. His headache was momentarily relieved, and he was tempted to just fall asleep once again. But then, Astrid continued; "Hiccup, come on, wake up...please."

Hiccup opened his eyes, keeping them half lidded as the sunlight was nearly blinding. He blinked, and Astrid came into focus. She was sitting next to where he was lying on the bed, holding his hand, rubbing his knuckles and stroking his hair.

She smiled faintly. "There," she said, her fingers never ceasing their movements. "There you are."

Hiccup smiled back weakly in response. "Hey," he said, scant of breath. "How...how's it goin'? Wh...what...h-happened?"

Astrid's smile faded, and she looked at him with concern. "You drank the poison, remember?" she said. "You stopped breathing for a while...you nearly gave me a heart attack. The healer found the cure, and Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins are getting it. She said that the main part was the first symptoms of it. After that, the next symptoms aren't as severe."

"What are the next symptoms?" Hiccup prompted.

Astrid pressed her lips into a thin line. "You don't need to worry about it, Hiccup," she said, her voice a soft whisper. The fact she blatantly refused to answer his question didn't go unnoticed, however, Hiccup decided to ignore it. She massaged his temple with her thumb, and he sighed in contentment. "Do you have a headache?" she asked, her voice once again consumed by worry.

He hated worrying her, and she knew now, she was probably panicked. He sighed and nodded, his eyes closed. "It's not bad," he said quietly. "Really, it's just…" He looked up at his wife and sighed. Whenever she knew he was lying, she would give him a "look" that meant "Spill it now or risk me getting mad and accidently making you a double amputee." She was giving him the look once again, except with concern mingled with her warning.

"It's bad, isn't it," Astrid said. It was a statement; not a question.

Hiccup sighed and nodded. "Yeah," he said, "but-"

"Don't you 'but' me, Hiccup," she interrupted him. "I'm going to get you something for your head, and maybe some water. Do you want some water?"

In response, Hiccup simply nodded. "If...if you don't mind, of course," he said. He, of course, didn't want to burden Astrid in any way - as it was, she was already worried enough.

"Of course I don't," Astrid said. "I'll be back in a few seconds." She stood up, putting his hand back on the bed beside him before leaning over him and kissing his temple. She caressed his forehead one last time before turning and making her way back down the stairs again.

She would tell him of her news when he was a bit more aware.


	8. Chapter 8

***deep, intimidating voice***

 **Haaapppy biiirrrtthhhddaaayy...**

 ***sighs* *deep, intimidating voice again***

 **Haaappy biiirrrtthhhddaaayyy...**

 **Pain and suffering fills the air...**

 **People dying everywhere...**

 **Happppyyy biirrrtthhddayyy...**

 **Sorry guys. It is not my birthday. A VERY MERRY UN-BIRTHDAY TO ME? TO YOU! A VERY MERRY UN-BIRTHDAY, TO US!**

 **And just randomly, happy birthday to all those who have birthdays in October! :D And happy un-birthday to those who do not! :D Enjoy chapter 8! :D**

* * *

When Astrid made it back to Hiccup's bedside, a cup of water in one hand and a bucket full of ice in the other, she saw that he was sleeping once again, albeit fitfully. She set the bucket down by the bed and the cup on the table before sitting down next to him once again, her fingers playing with his hair.

She was relieved he had been awake, and well enough to try and pretend he was fine. She knew he still felt terrible, but at least he was resting now instead of unconscious.

After a few moments, she grabbed a block of ice from the bucket and put it against his temple. He still had a fever, and Astrid had her mind set on getting it down as quickly as possible. That, and he said he had a headache. She wanted to help relieve that, too.

Hiccup shuddered, opening his eyes to look up at Astrid. She returned the gaze, her eyes sad. "Tired?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Just a bit," he said. "But it's alright. I was meaning to ask you…" He swallowed thickly, hesitated, and then continued, "What happened to the Lava Lout soldiers?"

Astrid's face darkened. She had been hoping previously that he wouldn't bring it up. Those murderous barbarians...she wanted to kill them for what they did to Hiccup. "They're in prison where they belong," she growled in fury. "All of them."

Hiccup winced for just a moment. "What...what about Fire Lily?" Hiccup asked. "I-I mean...she was the one who told me about the poison...she didn't do anything wrong…she shouldn't be in prison..."

"She's not in prison," Astrid assured him, "but I think someone's watching her, just to make sure she doesn't try anything, if she would ever." It was getting harder and harder to keep her secret a secret...she would have to tell him...she wanted to see his reaction _so badly_.

She had always thought Hiccup would be a great father, even before learning she was pregnant. He was just so caring, so selfless, and honestly, he was fun to be around. Plus, he'd told her before, a few days after their wedding, that he wanted to be a father, too.

She couldn't hide it any longer.

She had to tell him.

"Um...Hiccup," she said slowly, "I wanted to talk to you about something. It's really important."

Hiccup frowned. His eyes went from exhausted to concerned. "What?" he asked. "Is something wrong? Did something happen? Oh gods." He bolted upright before Astrid could get a word out otherwise. "Did someone else drink the poison!?" he asked, sounding panicked. He grabbed her shoulders. "Oh, please tell me they didn't...did _you!?"_

"No...Hiccup, calm down," Astrid said, prying his hands off her shoulders without so much of a problem. She felt like laughing. It was just like she thought; caring, selfless, caring about everyone else besides his own self. "Don't do that, Hiccup. You're still poisoned."

"But what _happened,_ Astrid?" Hiccup asked. He'd calmed down dramatically, but the panic didn't leave his eyes.

"Hiccup, I'm pregnant," Astrid said blatantly, unable to keep her secret a secret any longer. The look on Hiccup's face made her smile all the more. He looked...confused, joyed, unable to believe it...a lot like she must have looked when she first learned. "We're going to be parents," she added.

Hiccup gasped, putting his hand over his mouth, making an odd choking noise as if he were laughing and sobbing both at the same time. "R-really?" he asked.

"Yes, really," Astrid confirmed.

"Oh...oh gods…" Hiccup whispered. " _Oh gods_."

Astrid laughed. "Yeah," she said. "Just about."

The next thing Astrid knew, Hiccup had his arms wrapped around her tightly. She hugged him back, making a mental note of the weakness in his hug and remembering that he was still ill and needed to rest.

Right now, though, neither of them cared very much, especially Hiccup. He was too...unable to comprehend any of this, and Astrid knew it.

"I can't believe it," Hiccup whispered. "This is amazing, Astrid." He pulled away, wiping his eyes.

"So, you're happy?" Astrid said, although she already knew the answer.

"Oh, I'm _more_ than happy, Astrid!" Hiccup exclaimed, smiling widely. "I'm...I'm...I-I don't know what to say. That's how happy I am. I…" He kissed her cheek. "I love you, Astrid," he whispered.

Astrid smiled. "I know," she said. "I love you too."

Hiccup wiped at his eyes. "You're going to be a mother," he breathed, still unable to comprehend it.

Astrid smiled. "Yes," she said. "And _you_ are going to be a father."

Hiccup gasped again and shook his head. "Gods help this baby," he laughed softly.

Astrid shook her head. She held him closer and smoothed his hair back, pressing her hand against his forehead.

"Are you alright?" she asked. His fever felt higher...

"Yeah," Hiccup said. "I'm alright…I'm better than alright...I'm...I'm..." He fell asleep with a smile on his face as his voice trailed off, and Astrid couldn't help but smile back, even though he was asleep. She laid him back on the bed once again, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. Although she was consumed with happiness on the news of her becoming a mother and Hiccup becoming a father, she was also worried about him. Sure, she knew the poison wouldn't kill him, but at the same time…seeing him so sick was making her heart feel as though it were breaking in half.

She remembered the time she had the flu nearly two months ago and Hiccup took care of her with a sudden clarity:

 _Hiccup held the spoon full of soup in front of her mouth, and in response, she crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "I'm not eating anything you make," she said. "You're probably trying to kill me."_

 _Hiccup smiled faintly in response. "Now why would I be trying to kill you?" he asked. "And hey, at least it's not as bad as your traditional Yaknog." He shuddered. "I wouldn't relive that horrible taste for the entire archipelago."_

" _Oh come on, Hiccup," Astrid said. "My Yaknog can't taste as bad as your soup."_

" _You're right," Hiccup said. "Your Yaknog goes far and beyond 'tasting as bad as my soup'. And I for one think that I do a pretty good job of making soup, whether you like it or not. Anyways, you're stuck with me anyway while you're ill, so you might as well make the best of it. Now, open your mouth or I will tie you to the bed and force the soup down your throat myself."_

 _Astrid huffed. "You. Are. So. Stubborn," she whispered under her breath, growling afterwards._

 _Hiccup smiled. "Guilty as charged, milady," he said. "That's why you and me make a great team."_

" _Why? Because you're so stubborn and I'm the sensible one?"_

" _No. Because we're both stubborn and can scold each other about it."_

" _Shut up."_

" _Hey, the fact that you're refusing to eat the soup just proves my point."_

" _Shut up."_

" _Then eat the soup."_

 _Astrid sighed, yet complied. In honesty, she liked Hiccup's cooking._

 _...But she was never going to tell him that._

She looked back down at Hiccup's sleeping form and put another small chunk of half melted ice on his forehead. She knew she needed to get him to eat something...but at the same time, she also knew that he needed to rest.

So, she remained by his side, not rather being anywhere else but with her husband.

Even if he was stubborn.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, wonderful people. :) How are you all doing today? :) I hope you're all doing good. HTTYD books 8 and 9 just got to my library...I don't have them yet, and I haven't read them yet, so no spoilers, please! :D I'm so excited about finishing this series! And I'm pretty sure book 12 is coming out in November...that's what I last heard. I could be wrong. If someone knows either way, please let me know. :D Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I'll see you all in the next chapter! Enjoy chapter 9! :D**

* * *

A soldier approached his leader, one of his hands pressed against his forehead in a salute while his other hand hung at his side. "Sir!" he said. "It worked! Your idea worked! I have to admit, dressing up as Lava Lout soldiers and pretending to be working under orders of the Chief as we poisoned the barrels really worked!"

The leader grinned. "Good," he said. "And the Berkians blame the Lava Louts?"

The soldier nodded. "All the way, sir!" he said, lowering his arm. "But I must ask...when are we attacking them again?"

"As soon as we're ready," the leader replied. "Shouldn't be too much longer now, should it? A few days, maybe a week at tops."

"Aren't you worried that the Outcasts will come to their aid when we attack?" the soldier asked. "I did some spying on the Berkians earlier...their only real allies that I heard are the Outcasts, and the Lava Louts. Of course, though, the peace treaty with the Lava Louts is surely shattered by now. By the time the Berkians learn of our plot, it will be too late."

The leader barked a cold, harsh laugh that hardly sounded human. "Good!" he said. "As soon as we're ready, we'll march on Berk. The Berkians won't even know what hit them, and their allies won't have time to react!" The man looked down at his hands. "Well, Hiccup," he said, "looks like it's time to finish what I started."

…

Eret put his head in his hands. Out of all the people on Berk, Gobber had assigned _him_ to watch Fire Lily and make sure she didn't do anything fiendish. Her tribe tried to poison them, after all. Someone had to make sure Fire Lily hadn't been faking the entire "I had no idea what they were planning" act.

He didn't want to watch her. Honestly, he didn't, but he respected Gobber and the other Berkians. They invited him (Hiccup did, mainly) to live with them on Berk, and Eret would respect anyone who did that. Besides, the Berkians were a lively bunch. Sure, they bickered and fought like two Zippleback heads fighting over the same fish, but at the same time, they were entirely focused on each other's safety.

Except Eret still didn't understand why Hiccup drank the poison.

Of course, he understood the whole "a Chief protects his own" thing Hiccup was always reminding other people of when he risked his life for the sakes of theirs, but at the same time, watching Hiccup's first initial reaction to the poison was terrifying. He stopped _breathing,_ for goodness' sake.

Eret figured Hiccup knew that if he didn't drink the poison someone else would, and he also knew that Hiccup didn't want anyone else to be the victim of the poison, so he drank it himself to prove a point and nearly got himself killed because of it.

Eret would never understand his Chief, but he never questioned him.

Sighing, Eret stood up and continued following Fire Lily around.

This was going to be the longest, most boring day of his life.

…

"They should be back by now. It's taking forever. It's been far, far too long. They should be back. What if something happened? What if they couldn't find the cure? Oh, what if-"

Valka stepped backwards as her daughter in law paced and voiced her worries out loud. "Astrid," she said, "you shouldn't worry. It's not good for the baby."

Astrid paused. "The _baby_ is _fine_ ," she said, resuming her pacing. "It's Hiccup I'm worried about. He couldn't even keep down the soup we gave him earlier, and he's not going to get any better on his own." She recalled the events of the earlier day; Hiccup had woken up shortly after Valka returned with the soup, and he could hardly eat a few bites worth without it making a reappearance almost instantly. It was evening now, and Astrid was more worried than ever.

"Hopefully, Snotlout and the others will be back soon," Valka said.

"But 'soon' is not enough," Astrid said. "They're out there doing who-knows-what while Hiccup is here suffering and practically barfing his stomach up."

Valka looked at her helplessly. "I know you're worried," she said. "And I am too, but I'm sure the others are going as fast as they can."

"'As fast as they can' isn't fast enough, either!" Astrid said. "Just look at him, Valka." She sat down on the bed next to Hiccup once again and ran her fingers through his hair. He was pale, sweating, and shivering. His forehead was warm; he didn't have a dangerously high fever, but it was high enough to raise concern. "He's gotten worse...he's in so much pain…"

Valka took the bottle off the table and held it out to Astrid. "We can try to see if he can keep this down...if not…" She let her voice trail off when she realized she wasn't helping the situation.

"I get it," Astrid said, looking at Hiccup once again. She put her hand on his shoulder and shook it gently. "Hey, Hiccup," she whispered. "Wake up."

Hiccup groaned, opening his eyes and blinking up at her blearily. Despite the burning poison raging through his veins, he recognized her presence and offered a weak smile. "H...hey," he whispered weakly. "Wh...what's up?"

"Come on," Astrid coaxed, taking the bottle from Valka and uncorking it, picking up a spoon off the table. "You have to drink some of this. It'll help the pain."

Hiccup turned a pale shade of green. "Can't…" he murmured. "I'm sorry...m'so sorry, Astrid...I can't…"

"I know," Astrid said. "I know, but this is going to help you, alright?" Hiccup looked at her pleadingly, but in the end, he forced himself to nod and open his mouth. Astrid gave him one spoonful, which he swallowed, and then she gave him the second spoonful before setting the spoon and bottle back on the table. Hiccup shut his mouth and breathed through his nose, trying desperately to not upchuck the medicine.

"Shhh," Astrid said, caressing Hiccup's cheek. "Keep it down or it won't help you. Keep it down."

Hiccup nodded shakily, stopping abruptly to ward off another wave of nausea. He tried not to focus on his aching stomach or headache, so he decided to focus on Astrid instead. He looked at the little things; the way her bangs fell in her eyes...her eyes in general, the way they sparkled in the faint candlelight...her gentle yet shaking hands...her worried face…

He felt drowsy, but he couldn't fall asleep. He felt freezing cold yet at the same time as if someone had thrown him into the pin of three angry Monstrous Nightmares. He rolled over on his side and whimpered hoarsely. He felt freezing all of a sudden, and he curled into himself, shivering and shuddering. All he wanted was for the pain to stop. He wanted the torture to end. All he wanted was to feel better, and not as though his stomach was constantly being clawed by the paws of nausea. He shut his mouth tightly. He wouldn't throw up. He wouldn't.

Astrid watched Hiccup with concern in her eyes as he shivered uncontrollably. She remembered what the healer said about him getting cold and his temperature dropping; it looked as though that was what was happening, and Astrid didn't want that to happen.

She sat down on the bed before sliding underneath the covers with her husband. Hiccup opened his eyes long enough to look at her before shutting them again. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to keep him warm with her body. She felt him wrap his own arms around her in return, and her heart broke at the weakness in his grip.

Astrid rubbed his back and whispered softly to him as she tried to get him to sleep. She knew he was weak and in pain, and needed to rest. She just hoped that when he finally _was_ asleep, he stayed asleep and didn't wake up in the middle of the night in pain.

She closed her eyes. No, she couldn't worry. Hiccup would be fine. If he woke up hurting, she would be there for him.

"Are you okay, babe?" Astrid whispered. She knew Hiccup wasn't okay, but she didn't know what else to say.

Hiccup shook his head, his warm forehead pressing into her neck. "I'll...I'll manage," he murmured, although he was clearly exhausted and wasn't managing _anything_ very well _at all._

Astrid sighed, running her fingers through his hair absently. "It's alright," she whispered. "It's alright...hey, hey, it's alright…I know, I know it hurts...just rest..."

When Hiccup's arms around her went slack, she knew he was sleeping finally, and she smiled faintly in relief, her eyes closed. She squeezed him protectively and stayed there for a long time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, y'all! There isn't a whole bunch of action in this chapter, granted, but I hope you like it anyways. It's a bit on the short side...it's about 1,200 something words, so I broke one thousand words, so that's okay, but yeah...a little on the short side...I hope you like it anyways, guys. :)**

 **And yeah, book 12 is called "How to Fight a Dragon's Fury", right? Just making sure. :D BYE! :D ENJOY CHAPTER 10!**

* * *

When Astrid woke up, the first thing she realized was that she had fallen asleep. Her eyes flew open, and for a few moments, she wondered where she was, but then she was met by her husband's peaceful, sleeping face. Her panic dimmed, and she tucked a few strands of Hiccup's hair behind his ear. His eyes were closed, and for the first time since being poisoned, he looked completely peaceful.

It was good to finally see him resting. He needed all the rest he could get.

She looked at the window without moving; sunlight was streaming through it.

Which meant that it was morning.

Which meant that Hiccup had slept through the night.

She sighed in relief, shutting her eyes once again. She knew Hiccup wasn't going to get better on his own without the cure, but already, it seemed like he was doing better (at least a little bit).

She knew he was fighting with all the strength he had left in him. She knew he was fighting for her sake, her mother's sake, and their unborn baby's sake. He would do anything for his family, and she knew it.

She sighed again and relaxed. She felt abnormally tired...and she supposed it made sense, being pregnant and all...well, no one would blame her if she slept in a little later than usual. Hiccup still needed all the sleep he could get, anyways, and she knew that moving would wake him up.

Her breathing deepened, and she allowed sleep to take her once more.

…

Snotlout was having a bad day.

Seeing his cousin nearly suffocate during the banquet was enough to put anyone on edge, and it was worse, probably, because everyone knew why it was happening. Poison, according to what Hiccup had said just before drinking it. The drinks were poisoned by those stupid Lava Lout soldiers (whom Snotlout had learned to hate).

While Valka, Astrid and the healer had taken Hiccup away, he, Fishlegs and the twins had taken the Lava Lout soldiers away after other Berkians took care of tying them up. After Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins had all the Lava Louts in prison, they took care of getting rid of the other cups of poison by blowing them up (courtesy of Barf, Belch, Hookfang and Meatlug).

Later, Snotlout had watched Astrid collapse, and after taking her to the healer, the healer told him the cure for Hiccup's poison; a flower called Zoyzia, that only grew on Healer's island. So, he had gotten Fishlegs and the twins together and told them about the flower and how they needed to go get it, and they were more than happy to help.

But that wasn't really why Snotlout was having a bad day. No, he was having a bad day because he and the others ran into a Typhoomerang, and the Typhoomerang was positioned right in front of a Zoyzia bushel nearly covered in flowers.

Fishlegs had insisted they tried training it.

Right up until it blasted fire at them.

"Move!" Snotlout shouted, swerving upwards on Hookfang. "We've got to find some way to distract it! Fishlegs, you go low! Ruffnut and Tuffnut, you go high! I'm going for the flowers!"

It felt odd to him, ordering his friends around and having them actually do as he had said. It was normally Hiccup's place to do that, and if not Hiccup, Astrid. Now, though, he was the only one who was qualified to take the lead. Sure, he wasn't the smartest person on Berk, but he knew what needed to be done. Fishlegs would panic too much if he was the leader, and the twins wouldn't know what the word "leader" meant.

That left him. Granted, he wasn't the best choice, but if there was another one, he would have taken that one first.

The Typhoomerang roared at them, spread its wings, and took off. Fishlegs went downwards, the twins went upwards, and Snotlout tried to move around the dragon in a way that didn't draw any attention to himself.

He failed.

The Typhoomerang growled at him, but he didn't back down. Hookfang flew left when the Typhoomerang snapped at them, but that left no one to go after the flowers.

"Guys!" Snotlout shouted. "Change of plans! If you have a clear shot, go for the flowers! Everyone else, work as a distraction!"

He really wished Hiccup was with them. Hiccup would have been able to train the Typhoomerang instantly. And even if he couldn't train it, he would have come up with a brilliant scheme that would get them out in a matter of seconds.

He also wished Astrid was with them, too. She would have scared the living daylights out of the Typhoomerang just by glaring at it.

But of course, the two most capable members of their team were the ones not with them. Oh, Snotlout felt so useless. He was partially worried about Astrid; the healer never told him what was wrong with Hiccup's wife, and naturally, he was concerned, even though he would never admit it out loud.

Fishlegs saw his chance and took it. As soon as Snotlout saw Fishlegs going for the flowers, he took over distracting the Typhoomerang with rude insults and inane speeches.

"Hey hey hey, stupid!" he shouted at the dragon. "What's the difference between a boomerang, and your intelligence?" The dragon cocked his head to the side. "Your intelligence is never coming back!" Snotlout finished.

The dragon roared and clawed at Snotlout angrily, and Snotlout smiled. He was finally doing something for the good of Berk. He was finally helping someone else besides himself. He was finally doing something right.

"YES!" he shouted.

Just before the Typhoomerang's tail nearly knocked him out of the air. Hookfang swerved desperately, barely missing the dragon's swooping tail. Snotlout turned Hookfang upwards, and the dragon darted into the sky.

"I got it!" Fishlegs called to them from below. "I got the flowers!"

"Okay, everyone, fall back!" Snotlout commanded. "Back towards Berk! Let's go! Leave the Typhoomerang!"

The others didn't need to be told twice. They headed off after Snotlout instantly, Fishlegs stuffing the flowers he had grabbed into Meatlug's saddlebag. Snotlout glanced behind them; the Typhoomerang was making no move to follow.

He sighed. They did it.

Now, they just needed to get back to Berk.

…

"Sir, the fleet should be ready in five days tops," the soldier said. "Should we start heading a course for Berk?"

The leader took a moment to think. "Yes," he said at length. "You should. We have to move out!"

"Sir," the soldier asked, "should we gather the dragons and bring them as well?"

"No," the leader said. "They have the Alpha on their side. Bringing dragons will only result in them having more dragons to fight on their side."

"Can you run us through the plan once again?" a second soldier asked.

Their leader nodded. "We've already poisoned Hiccup," he said. "Even though they'll probably find the cure, it'll still take him a few days before he's actually recovered. By then, we'll have already won."

"But Sir," one of the soldiers said, "why not just kill Hiccup with the poison? Why give him a poison that can be cured?"

"Because," he said, "I want the pleasure of killing him myself. Set a course for Berk! We attack as soon as we get there!"


	11. Chapter 11

**I just finished book 8 of the HTTYD series...**

 **TIME TO START BOOK 9 I CANNOT WAIT AND DON'T ANYONE SAY A WORD BECAUSE GGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS AND NOT ENOUGH ANSWERS AND AAAAAAAA- *spasms out on keyboard* ghasgdhjagehdgahgsdhjagshdgashgdhegdakjdhkajshkdj...**

 **Haha, I'm a lost cause. :) Enjoy chapter 11! :D**

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When Astrid woke up next, the sun was higher according to the window. She looked at Hiccup, utterly relieved when she saw he was still sleeping. She didn't feel tired; she felt the need to get up and move around, maybe even go to the Great Hall and get some more soup and see if Hiccup wanted to try to eat again when he woke up. She didn't want to leave him, but at the same time, she wanted to leave him to rest without risking waking him up.

So, slowly and carefully, she moved Hiccup's arms and slid out of bed, hoping he didn't wake. Unfortunately, she realized it was in vain when she looked back to see two tired emerald eyes staring into her own.

"Morning," Hiccup croaked.

Astrid sighed. "Morning to you, too," she said, whispering. "I didn't mean to wake you, Hiccup. You can sleep if you want."

Hiccup obviously didn't "want" at this point. "Are you okay?" he asked after another moment. "You...and the baby? Both okay?"

Astrid rolled her eyes. Of course Hiccup would be worrying about them when he really had to be thinking about himself. "We're fine," she said. "A lot better off than you are, actually."

Hiccup offered her a tired smile in return. "Probably," he said.

Astrid rolled her eyes again, only this time, she was smiling. "Get some rest, alright?" she said. When Hiccup nodded, she kissed his cheek, whispered, "I love you," he kissed her cheek, whispered the same thing, and as soon as he was sleeping again, Astrid headed downstairs.

Valka was up, doing random chores about the house that probably didn't even need to be done, and she stopped only to nod in Astrid's direction as soon as she saw her walk down the stairs.

"Good morning, Astrid," Valka said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Astrid said. She took notice of just how bright it was outside and turned back to her mother in law. "How long did I sleep in?" she asked.

"A few hours," Valka said. "I got some soup from the Great Hall earlier, and some bread, if you want something to eat...how's Hiccup doing?"

Astrid shook her head. "Still resting," she said. "He was awake for a few minutes, but he's exhausted." Astrid sat down at the table and folded her hands on the wooden surface, sighing.

Valka nodded. "I know, poor thing," she said, looking up at the loft as if wondering whether or not she should venture up. "The others should be back any day now with the cure. I hope they hurry…" She let her voice trail off, shaking her head. "We'll have to try to get Hiccup to eat something," she said. "He needs something in his system."

"Yeah," Astrid agreed. "I-"

She was cut off by the door being swung open. She jumped backwards, leaping from her seat, and Valka did the same. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins raced in, the healer hot on their heels.

"We got the flowers for the cure," Snotlout stated in triumph.

That was some of the best news Astrid had heard since learning she was pregnant. "Really!?" Astrid exclaimed, running up and grabbing Snotlout by his shoulders. Snotlout nodded after flinching. "Well, go on and give it to him!" Astrid said, shaking Snotlout back and forth. "Do you know how sick he is!?"

The healer nodded. "Give me five minutes to make the cure," she said, holding her hand out to Fishlegs who then proceeded to hand her some white, blue spotted flowers. "I need to heat up some water. If he's sleeping, go on and wake him up."

Astrid nodded. "Are you sure you don't need any help-"

"I'll help them with whatever I can," Valka said to Astrid. "You go on." Astrid didn't need to be told twice. She raced back up the stairs and into the loft. After reaching her destination, she crossed the room. She felt so bad for waking him, especially when he was so tired, but she knew they needed to give him the cure. The most important thing was Hiccup getting the cure.

"Hey, Hiccup," she said, shaking his shoulder. "Wake up, babe."

Hiccup opened his eyes, looking up at her with dazed, unfocused eyes. "Hi," he said. He turned his head and coughed once. "What…" he started, and then, he let his voice trail off.

"We have the cure for the poison," Astrid said. "The healer's getting it ready, and then we can give it to you."

Hiccup's features brightened just slightly. "Everyone got back okay?" he asked.

"Thor, Hiccup…" Astrid shook her head. "Do you _ever_ think about yourself?" She pressed her hand against his forehead; his fever was dangerously high now, and it had been that way for a few hours. She bit her lip and looked at the stairs, hoping the others were hurrying to get that cure made.

Hiccup followed her gaze. "What's wrong?" he slurred.

Astrid looked back at her husband. She only hoped that he felt better than he looked.

Astrid bit her lip, her fingers working to put two braids in Hiccup's hair, like she always did. She knew Hiccup didn't like it, but at the same time, he never stopped her whenever she did it, and he never took them out, either. "Well, you're still sick," Astrid said ."That's what's wrong."

Hiccup shut his eyes, leaning his face against her hand. "But...we have the cure…" he murmured. "I'll be fine…"

As soon as Astrid finished the second braid, the healer walked upstairs, carrying a steaming bowl with her, Valka walking behind her. Astrid looked back at them both before her eyes became refocused on her husband once again.

"Is he awake?" the healer asked.

Astrid nodded.

"Hello," Hiccup lifted his hand and waved briefly.

"But he's exhausted," Astrid went on, grabbing Hiccup's hand while it was still in the air and holding it tightly within her own hands.

Hiccup, once again, smiled weakly. "I'm fine," he said. "You...you really...don't have to worry…"

Astrid put her hand against his cheek, and he leaned into her palm. "You're not fine, alright?" Astrid said. "You're tired, and your fever's high." Actually, was it her imagination, or was the fever getting higher…?

The healer nodded. "It's an effect of the poison," she explained hastily as she set the bowl down on the bedside table. "It'll only get worse if we don't give him the cure."

That was all she needed to say for Astrid to start. She waited for the steam to abate, and then, she lifted the small bowl off the table. She helped Hiccup lift his head enough to drink, and she held the rim of the bowl to his lips. He swallowed its contents without much of a problem, and for that, Astrid was thankful. After downing the contents of the bowl, his head fell back against the pillow limply.

"Astrid,' he slurred.

Astrid shook her head and took his hand again. "It's alright," she promised. "Just go to sleep, and I'll be here when you wake up. You'll feel better when you wake up...I promise."

And just like that, Hiccup was asleep.

"He's bound to sleep for a while," the healer said. "A good five or six hours at tops. He'll wake up, probably feeling fine. Just make sure he doesn't do anything too strenuous. It'll still take a few days before he's completely better."

Astrid and Valka nodded in unison. "Thank you," Valka said.

The healer nodded. "You're welcome," she said. Without another word, she turned and left the house. Astrid looked at Hiccup's peaceful, sleeping face and smiled softly. "He's alright," she whispered, tracing some of Hiccup's freckles. "He's finally alright…"

Valka placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and nodded.

…

Hiccup blinked his eyes open, feeling tired, sweaty and abnormally hot. He frowned, worried that he would feel nauseous at any given moment…

It never came.

He glanced around the room, trying to get an idea of what had happened and how long ago it had happened. He felt a weight resting on his arm, and turned his head just enough to see Astrid's sleeping face. She looked peaceful, and he smiled. He was lying on his back, and Astrid rested on her side, her head on his arm just before his shoulder.

He wondered what time it was...it was probably late in the evening, if the fact that outside the window was black was any indication.

He felt Astrid shift beside him, and when he looked at her, he saw that her eyes were open, and they were staring straight into his. She blinked at him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," he whispered back. "What happened?"

"We got you the cure," Astrid said, still whispering. "You just need to rest for a few days before you're completely well again. Can I get you anything?"

Hiccup closed his eyes. The first thing that came to his mind was water, since his throat felt parched and his voice was rough, but he didn't want to burden Astrid. He tightened the arm around her and shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Astrid asked. "I can get you some water. You sound awful."

"It can wait," Hiccup murmured into her hair. "I don't want you to have to get up…"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You know," she said, "I'm not the one who was poisoned."

"Yeah," Hiccup said, "but I'm not the one pregnant."

Astrid snorted. "Being pregnant does not make me incapable," she said. "I'm still your wife."

"But that doesn't make you my slave," Hiccup said.

Astrid, who had run out of comebacks and felt too tired to make up some of her own, sighed. "You're so stubborn," she accused.

"I know," Hiccup said. "You too."

"Nu-uh," Astrid said. "You are _definitely_ more stubborn than me."

"Mmmhmm...wake me up when it matters…"

"In that case, you'll never wake up."

"Uh-huh."

" _Hiccup…"_

"Goodnight, Astrid."

"Oh, you _idiot…"_

"Love you too."


	12. Chapter 12

Hiccup was back on his feet three days later, despite how hard Astrid and Valka both still tried to keep him in bed. He wouldn't have any of it; he said that he needed to go check up on the village and make sure everything was alright.

He just finished settling an argument between two soldiers who were fighting over a sword when his stomach twisted. That was another thing; he had been getting nauseous a lot more often. Astrid told him that it was his body trying to finish ridding itself of the poison, but that didn't mean that it hurt any less. The horrible feeling of something forced unnaturally up his throat was just something Hiccup didn't like, no matter what his body was trying to do.

He turned, ran, and ducked behind a building, dropping to his hands and knees before expelling whatever was in his stomach. He hadn't eaten much, but it seemed that there was no end to it. When he thought his stomach contents were done trying to commit suicide, it turned out that it had more to bring up.

He felt someone rubbing his back, and he didn't even need to turn around before knowing who it was. Astrid had been following him all day; it wasn't the first time she found him upchucking behind a building.

"Okay, okay, I'm alright," he wheezed, rising to a stand on unsteady feet. Astrid put her arm around his waist until he regained his balance, and even then she kept her hand clasped around his forearm when he swayed.

"You're not alright," Astrid said, her voice laced with concern. She ran her fingers through his hair. "You've got a fever," she said, and groaned. "You know what the healer said!" she said, exasperated. "You're not ready to be out and about yet, Hiccup. You need rest."

"I know, babe," Hiccup sighed, putting his hand against his forehead. "I just-"

"No," Astrid stopped him. "There aren't any 'I justs' about it. You're pushing yourself beyond your limits, Hiccup."

Hiccup sighed yet again. "I'm alright," he insisted, although it sounded as though it were more of a question than anything. "I'm alright. I just…" He groaned, wrapping his arm around his stomach, feeling faint all of a sudden.

"Whoa, whoa," Astrid said, grabbing him and holding him tightly as he began sinking to the ground. "Whoa, okay, okay, you're worse than I thought…come on, let's get you home-"

Hiccup waved his hand in front of his face briefly. "No," he said. "I'll...I'll be fine. I just need to...to sit down for a few minutes…"

"Alright," Astrid said, sinking to the ground without moving her arms from around Hiccup. He cooperated without a problem, which worried her. "Alright, take deep breaths...deep breaths…"

"I'm fine," Hiccup insisted, although Astrid saw him taking her advice. He inhaled deeply and exhaled the same way. Astrid rubbed his back to calm him and offer him comfort.

"You look dizzy," she commented. "Why don't you let me take you home so you can rest?"

"I don't...don't," Hiccup started weakly. "Don't want to be bedridden again…"

Astrid gave him a sympathetic look. "Oh, I know, babe," she whispered. "But you're going to make yourself worse if you keep doing…" She let her voice trail off. "Hold on," she said. She tugged Hiccup over so that he was lying on his side with his upper body in her lap. He sighed, closing his eyes. "There," Astrid said, running her fingers through his sweaty hair. "There, now rest for a few minutes. Just a few...I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you until you take a break."

She stopped talking when she realized that her husband was asleep. Asleep. Already? He must have been more exhausted than he originally let on. The thought made Astrid's heart ache.

She didn't want to wake him up, even after five minutes passed. Even when ten more passed, she didn't wake him. The days after he was poisoned were terrifying for everyone, but Astrid didn't want to imagine what Hiccup suffered through as far as how he felt.

She was worried he was going to make himself sick again; he was still recovering after all, and his body couldn't take much, and yet Hiccup seemed to think that "stay in bed and rest until you've recovered" meant "get up and do everything you normally do including a lot of other little strenuous tasks."

She sighed and put her hand against her forehead. She really, really didn't want him to make himself sick. He was already sick enough as it was with his body trying to rid itself of all the poison; she really didn't want him to make himself worse.

The first day after him being cued was probably the worst. The entire day was pretty much Hiccup leaning over a bucket constantly, unable to keep down anything for more than a minute. She had sat by him the entire time, rubbing his back and keeping him relaxed and calm, sometimes putting a blanket around his shoulders while other times keeping a chunk of ice on his forehead to keep his temperature down. Valka had been running back and forth, sometimes getting water while other times fetching more ice for Hiccup's head. The healer had told them that night that it should get better as time wore on, but at the same time, Astrid just wanted it to all end. She didn't want to see her husband in pain. She didn't want to see him so sick. She was certain after this, whenever Hiccup got something small like a cold or the stomach flu, she would have a full-blown panic attack in fear of him relapsing into something like this again.

She shook her head.

At length, Hiccup stirred and sat up, rubbing at his eyes in confusion as if wondering where he was. He looked Astrid in the eyes, and she returned the gaze. "How long was I sleeping?" Hiccup asked.

"Maybe twenty to thirty minutes," Astrid replied as she rose to a stand, helping Hiccup up beside her. "It's not enough," she said. "I expect you to get a good night's sleep tonight, alright?"

"Alright," Hiccup agreed with a small, barely noticeable nod of his head. He walked slowly, his fingers intertwined with Astrid's, back into the plaza. Almost instantly, as soon as they stepped away from the building, Snotlout raced up to them.

He looked terrified, which was something they hardly ever saw in Snotlout. Well, they saw it occasionally, of course, but right now, he looked blatantly terrified.

"Hiccup!" he exclaimed. Hiccup and Astrid stopped dead in their tracks by the tone of Snotlout's voice. "Hiccup, we've been looking everywhere for you!" Snotlout shouted on. "We have news!"

Hiccup frowned. His eyes were laced with confusion mingled with fear. "Good news?" he asked, and by the tone of his voice, he was dreading the answer he knew was coming.

Snotlout shook his head feverishly, still gasping and panting for breath from his sprint. "Fishlegs and I were flying around Itchy Armpit," he said hastily. "Some stupid race...but...we…we saw a fleet of ships."

Hiccup's grip on Astrid's hand tightened, although it was clearly done subconsciously. "Ships?" Hiccup questioned. "Are they the rest of the Lava Louts?"

Snotlout shook his head again, frantically. "No, although you would wish they were after knowing who it really is," Snotlout said.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "You...you don't mean…" he stuttered, but the tone of his voice said it all. He had a pretty good idea of just whose ships Snotlout was talking about.

Dagur wasn't much of a threat; Snotlout wouldn't look terrified by Dagur. He would look worried, concerned, and maybe a little shocked, but not horrified, like he was now.

It wasn't the rest of the Lava Louts; Snotlout had said so himself.

It wasn't Alvin or the Outcasts, who were allies with the Berkians.

That only left one option.

One option, which was worse than all the previous options alone...quite possible combined as well. Hiccup was sure they had taken care of the problem, nearly a year ago...but the look in his cousin's eyes could only mean one thing.

Snotlout nodded, and Hiccup's fears were confirmed. "It's Drago, Hiccup," he said. "Drago's back."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update earlier. I was busy. I just finished book 9 to the HTTYD series, and...**

 **WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT!?**

 **I'm not going to spoil anything, but I'm just gonna say that I am glad I already have book 10 and 11 on their way to me, or I don't think I would be able to survive. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS! GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!**

 **Anyways, here's chapter 13! And I'm sorry for the sort of lack of romance...I'm awful at romance, really, I am, and I apologize. I'm going to try a little harder in some future chapters...hopefully. :) Onwards with chapter 13! :D**

* * *

"WHAT!?" Hiccup shouted so suddenly that Astrid was tempted to take a step back. "NO, NO, NO, WAIT A MINUTE. HE CAN'T BE BACK." Hiccup released Astrid's hand and raked his fingers through his hair. "I...I thought we got rid of him!" Hiccup shouted. "I thought he was dead!"

"Are you sure you didn't see something else, Snotlout?" Astrid asked, almost desperately. Drago was a dangerous foe, and if he was coming back for revenge, it certainly wasn't going to be a pretty sight.

Snotlout nodded. "I'm positive. I'd recognize those ships anywhere."

Hiccup was still in denial, practically tearing his hair out in what looked like fear and fury both at once.

"Think about it, Hiccup," Snotlout said. "He's been gone for a whole year. Just think about what he could have done...if he's been planning to attack us ever since we defeated him, then we're in trouble. Big trouble...you know, like capital T trouble..."

Hiccup raked his fingers through his hair again. "He can't be back!" he insisted. "There's...there's just _no way_ he's back…"

"I'm sorry, Hiccup," Snotlout said, shaking his head. "But he's coming, and he's coming soon."

"How soon?" Astrid prompted; she really couldn't think about all this very clearly. Her mind refused to click together. Drago was attacking...that was just...horrible.

"Maybe two days, judging by the side of his fleet and how far away he was," Snotlout said. "He's coming by ship...and he's got a lot of ships." He turned back to look at his cousin. "Hiccup, what should we do? What's our first faze of action?"

Hiccup straightened his posture, smoothed his hair down, took in a deep, shaky breath, and spoke. "Get everyone ready," Hiccup said. "Tell them to expect the worst. We have two days…" He shook his head. "It's not enough time...we can't get everyone ready for war in two days... _two days._ It's not like we have time to prepare ourselves, but do whatever you can, Snotlout. Round up the dragons. Get everyone to the Great Hall. We need to have a meeting."

Snotlout nodded, turning and racing off in the opposite direction. Hiccup put his head in his hands, heaving a deep, long sigh. "I can't do this," he said, shaking his head back and forth. "I've never led people to war before."

Astrid grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands down from his face. "You can," she said. "You've done it before. Remember the Red Death?"

"That's...that's different," Hiccup said, shaking his head again. "That was just you, the twins, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Snotlout on the backs of dragons. This is the entire population of Berk."

Astrid bit her lip. It _was_ a rather big difference. "It'll be okay, Hiccup," she insisted. "You can do it."

"No, I can't," Hiccup said. "I don't know what to do. I'm...I'll just lead them to their deaths. I'll lead all the Berkians to their deaths. I'll...I'll…"

She silenced him by kissing him. He responded to the kiss, of course, like he always did, but it was clear he was still panicked. Astrid understood his panic, too, she really, honestly did, but right now... "Hiccup, stop," Astrid said. "We're wasting time. We have two days, and then that's it. We have to fight no matter what happens after that, and we'll follow you no matter what you tell us to do. We should head to the Great Hall. Don't worry."

Hiccup sighed but complied, nodding shakily.

…

The Great Hall was in a state of panic. Left to right, people were shouting accusations of why they were there.

"I TOLD HIM NOT TO MESS WITH THE FENCE, BUT DID HE LISTEN!? NO!" one of the villagers shouted angrily. "No, he had to paint it red anyways, even though I told him clearly that red is a terrible color!"

"Oi, I didn't paint it red!" another villager yelled. "I painted it _crimson_. You should do your research on colors!"

"You should do your research on manners!" the first villager shouted back again.

"DON'T YOU DARE-"

"Alright, enough!" Hiccup shouted, putting his hands forward. After a few more moments, the villagers quieted. "This has nothing to do with a painted fence, or else we would have never called this meeting in the first place!"

"Told ya!" the villager called.

Hiccup resisted rolling his eyes. "Drago has been spotted near Itchy Armpit," Hiccup announced, "and according to Snotlout, he's on his way here."

The statement sent another rage of panic through the other Berkians. They gossiped and gasped and voice their worries out loud as if they wanted everyone in the world to know.

"I'm calling this a state of emergency!" Hiccup shouted once the villagers had quieted enough for him to speak. "Gobber, get the children and the elders to the abandoned Whispering Death tunnels! Everyone who has a dragon to ride, circle around Berk and be on the lookout! Soldiers, find your weapons! Gobber, when you're finished, start working on more swords."

"This is outrageous!" a villager called. "It's not possible! We ran Drago off a year ago! He shouldn't be back!"

"He is!" Hiccup said. "I'm going to assign each of you with jobs. The soldiers who are in the higher ranks are going to guard the entrances of the Whispering Death tunnels with their lives! Safety is of utmost importance. Ruffnut and Tuffnut, you two need to help Gobber with whatever you can! Snotlout, you're in charge of the lookout group. Eret, you need to stay in the prison and make sure no one frees the Lava Louts. Take Fire Lily with you. The rest of you, make yourselves ready. This, is war. Drago should be here in approximately two days! Meeting dismissed."

The villagers filed out of the Great Hall, muttering to themselves as they went. Some of them were mumbling accusations while others were whispering "we're gonna die" under their breaths.

Neither one of those things made Hiccup feel any more reassured.

Valka approached him, looking nervous. "Are you serious?" she asked. "Drago is attacking?"

Hiccup wanted to say anything but the truth, but in the end, he nodded. "Unfortunately, yes," Hiccup said. "Snotlout wouldn't lie about something like that. He...he should be here in two days, maybe even sooner depending on how fast they're moving." He sighed, looking at the ground. "This shouldn't be happening," he said. "Drago shouldn't be coming back. He...he just...he _shouldn't be._ Not after everything he did...not after all the pain he caused Berk…"

Valka put her hand on her son's shoulder. "I know," she said. "I know." She hesitated for but a brief moment before she reached forward, capturing Hiccup in a tight embrace. "I'm so proud of you, Hiccup," she whispered. "I want you to know that. You've been strong in everything you do, and you can do this, too. I want you to remember that, alright?"

Hiccup nodded shakily. "Thanks, Mom," he said, hugging her back. After a moment, he stepped away and faced Astrid. "When Drago gets here," he said, "I want you to go with Gobber and get in the tunnels."

Astrid's eyes widened. "Hiccup," she said, "you can't _possibly_ expect that I'm going to stand around helplessly while the other Berkians fight for this island. I can't-"

"Astrid," Hiccup said, "please, don't make this any harder then it is. You have to understand...if something happened to you...or our baby, I would...I would never forgive myself."

Astrid put two of her fingers underneath his chin and forced him to look at her. "Hiccup," she said, "I get where you're coming from, but...if something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to do anything. You're the only thing that gives me hope."

"I'll be fine, Astrid," Hiccup assured.

"But what if I told you that 'I'd be fine', too?" Astrid asked him with a hint of anger in her tone. "Would you believe me? Would you let me fight?"

Hiccup put his head in his hands. "It's different," he said. "It's different with me."

"I don't think it's different," Astrid said.

"It doesn't matter what you think," Hiccup said. "As your Chief and your husband, I am ordering you not to fight." Astrid opened her mouth to say something else, but Hiccup cut her off. "Please, Astrid," he whispered. "Please."

Astrid shut her mouth and sighed. She couldn't say no to him; not when he was practically begging her. She nodded, and before she knew what was happening, Hiccup had her in a tight embrace.

"Thank you…" he whispered.

Astrid hugged him back, saying nothing. _Don't thank me yet_ , she thought. _I didn't promise you anything._


	14. Chapter 14

Astrid laid awake in bed that night, staring at the ceiling. She rolled over on her side, trying to wrap her mind around everything. Hiccup was doing a last minute check up around the island, and he told Astrid that she could go ahead home, and she did after telling him to hurry. That led her to be alone, waiting for her husband's return.

She thought about their earlier conversation; Hiccup begging her to not fight, pleading with her to listen to him...she wanted to. She wanted to listen to him. She wanted to do what he asked of her, but at the same time, she didn't want Hiccup to get hurt. He was still getting over the after effects of the poison. He couldn't fight if he couldn't hold his sword in his weakened hands.

Astrid understood him worrying about her; really she did. She didn't want anything to happen to their baby, either, but she also knew that their baby needed their father. And not only that, but Astrid knew she needed Hiccup, too. She didn't know what she would ever do without him.

She had to fight...but Hiccup told her not to...she understood how badly he didn't want her to fight, but on the other hand, she also knew that if something happened to Hiccup…

She shook her head and tried to focus on sleeping. Valka had gone to bed earlier; it was getting late, and Astrid knew it. She hoped Hiccup got back soon. She was tired of worrying about everything. She shut her eyes, trying to get her mind off the fact that Drago was going to be attacking in only two days.

It didn't work very well. When she didn't think about Drago, she thought about Hiccup and how he was still partially sick and couldn't fight without someone to be there to help him.

She heard the sound of the door creaking open, and her eyes flew open. She sat up in bed, the blanket sliding off her shoulders. She listened for a few moments:

 _Step...thunk...step...thunk._

Hiccup's footsteps. He was back. She got up out of bed and headed downstairs, disliking the sounds of the creaking boards beneath her feet. She found Hiccup sitting at the table, facing the staircase, holding a block of ice to his temple, his eyes squeezed shut. Astrid cleared her throat as she approached them to let him know she was there, and he opened his eyes, waving briefly in her direction.

"Hey," he said, his voice sounding strained, as if he were forcing himself to speak. "What are you still doing up? You should be resting."

Astrid shook her head. "I was worried about you," she replied, her voice barely rising over a whisper. "I couldn't sleep."

Hiccup sighed. "Sorry," he said.

Astrid shook her head. "Don't apologize," she said. "Do you have a headache?"

"All the time nowadays, but they pass," Hiccup admitted.

"Should I make some tea?"

"Tea would be awesome."

Astrid smiled lightly as she set herself to work, trying to keep her mind off everything that was happening. She put a kettle over the hearth, and then busied herself with the herbs.

"Astrid?" Hiccup said, almost inaudibly.

"Yeah?" Astrid said over her shoulder, not even turning around to look at him.

"Do you think...do you think I'll be a good father?"

Astrid froze, spinning around to look at her husband. "I don't know why you would think differently," she said. "You're going to be a great father, Hiccup. Why? Are you worried you won't be?" The water finished heating, and Astrid poured it into two mugs, added the herbs, and then brought them both to the table, setting one in front of Hiccup and the other where she would be sitting. Astrid sat down next to her husband, her fingers entwining with his while his other hand continued pressing the ice to his head.

Hiccup shrugged. "Kinda," he said.

"Well, you shouldn't worry," Astrid assured him. "You're going to be a great Dad, Hiccup. I know you will be." She paused. "You worried me when you didn't come home earlier," she said. "I thought maybe you were sick again."

Hiccup sighed, setting the ice down momentarily to take a sip of his tea. "I didn't mean to worry you. I was just finishing up...making sure everyone knows what they're supposed to do...checking up on Gobber and the others…"

"Hiccup," Astrid said, "you may think you have to everything, but really, you don't. We don't expect you to."

"But I should be able to do everything," Hiccup said, squeezing her hand. "I should. My father did. My father could do anything he set his mind to. My father knew how to lead people into war. My father-"

"Your father," Astrid said, turning to face him, "had a lot more experience then you. I'm sure when he was your age, he didn't know the first thing about chiefing or leading the Berkians, either. Your father wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over not being able to do _everything_."

Hiccup shook his head. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said. "My father's gone." He tensed suddenly as if the realization of his statement were hitting him over the head. He closed his eyes tightly and sighed yet again. "I wish he were here," Hiccup said. "He would know what to do. He...he always knew what to do." He opened his eyes, his teeth clenched tightly together. "I wish I had been hit by that plasma blast," he choked. "Berk would be better off with my father as their Chief."

"Hiccup, don't you _dare_ say that!" Astrid hissed as loudly as she dared. "I can't believe you would say something like that!"

"But you know I'm right," Hiccup said, his eyes on the table as if it had suddenly become very interesting. Astrid looked at him, feeling helpless. When he got himself into a funk like this, he was almost impossible to reason with or talk to. He got his mind so set on one specific thing that all other thoughts were shut out.

"I don't even know what to say anymore," Astrid said, staring at him, appalled by the entire conversation. "Can't you just talk to me? Like you used to? Back when we were younger and it didn't matter what other people thought of you? You used to tell me everything…"

"I can't do that now," Hiccup sighed. "I'm supposed to be the Chief. I'm supposed to be the strong one. I'm supposed to be the one everyone can rely on to answer their problems and lead them to victory. I'm supposed to do that, Astrid. Not sit around like a downed dragon, useless against attackers, throwing a pity party for myself."

"I'm not _asking_ you to throw a pity party for yourself," Astrid said. It was getting harder and harder to talk to him. "I just want you to talk to me."

There was a moment of silence before Hiccup answered. "We are talking."

"Hiccup, this isn't talking. We're moving our lips, yes, but you're not listening. It's just me talking and you responding."

"Isn't that all talking is?"

"We're supposed to be having a discussion. A discussion that doesn't have to do with putting yourself down and criticizing yourself as if you were the lowest of low. A discussion where you're actually honest with me."

"I can't be honest with you."

"Why not? I'm your wife."

"Which is exactly why I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm supposed to be stronger then this! I'm supposed to be able to lead the Berkians, but I can't! I'm useless to the others, Astrid! I might as well be an extra horseshoe! Or...or a rusty sword...OR SOMEONE WHO IS REALLY, REALLY BAD AT METAPHORS."

Astrid winced. "Can't you just...tell me what you're feeling? Without exploding, preferably?"

Hiccup released her hand, putting his head in his own. "Okay, you win," he said. "You win, I'll admit it."

"I'm listening."

"I can't do anything. I feel useless, helpless, pathetic, worthless...I have a lingering headache that won't leave me alone, everyone's so willing to follow me and yet I feel like I'm leading them to their deaths. I keep trying to make sure they're doing what they're supposed to do while also trying to catch up on sleep while also making sure you're alright and my Mom's safe, while also running the village and settling arguments and making sure no one does something that's stupider than usual. I don't know how to be a Chief, I feel like I'm failing, my father should be here...I wish he were here. He knew what he was doing, but I don't. I'm a sorry excuse for a Chief, and I shouldn't even be able to hold that title. Drago's attacking in two days and we don't have enough time to get the fleet ready, meaning we'll have less people to fight, meaning that we'll most likely lose the battle, and I'll fail everyone I know and care about once again, like I always do." He leaned backwards. "There. I said it. Happy?"

"Not necessarily. Why do you think that about yourself?"

Hiccup sighed once more. "It's kind of given, isn't it?" he asked. "Being Chief...I...I always feel like I'm failing people. Everyone knows I don't have a handle on things. Why do I need to lead them to war to emphasize it?"

"You're not emphasizing it, Hiccup," Astrid said. "You know, we don't think you're a good leader because you're fearless. We think you're a good leader because we can relate to you. You get stressed out, scared, worried, concerned, like we all do. You're still human, Hiccup."

"I know," Hiccup said. "I just feel like a failure. I shouldn't be the Chief. I don't deserve the position. The people deserve better then me."

Astrid pulled his hand away from his face and held it tightly. "Listen," she said, "if you want help, ask me...or your mother. Or anyone, for that matter. We don't expect you to do it on your own, especially now, when Drago's returning."

Hiccup squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Astrid," he said.

"Anytime," Astrid nodded. "I love you, alright?"

"I love you too."

"Now go to bed before you face plant the ground."

"Yes, dear."


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys!**

 **Please don't kill me.**

 **Please.  
**

 **Please.**

 _ **Please**_ **don't kill me. I know it's been a while since I last updated, BUT I HAVE MY REASONS! Reason number 1 is school, reason number 2 is because I've been doing a lot of reading. I started reading Harry Potter, actually, and it's a lot better than I ever expected it to be. I'm about a hundred pages into "The Prisoner of Azkaban", and so far, I'm loving the series. I can't believe I haven't read it before now. :)**

 **Anyways, a few of you have been wondering WHERE IS TOOTHLESS? And I have to say that this story is focused on Hiccup and Astrid, not so much Toothless and Hiccup. If you guys want a Toothless and Hiccup centered story, I'll write one sometime. Just let me know. :)**

 **Anyways, on with chapter 15! :D**

* * *

Astrid woke up the next morning, feeling rested. The sunlight streamed through the window, and she could hear the wonderful sounds of dragons chirping outside. She could feel it already; it was going to be a great day.

Then she remembered that Drago was going to be arriving tomorrow, and all hopes of having a good morning were crushed. She stood up, put her armor on, and headed downstairs. It was quiet; Valka and Hiccup were most likely already out and about getting a start on their day. After trying (and failing) to make breakfast, she decided that she would go to the Great Hall later on and grab something.

She stepped outside.

People were running back and forth, most of them fighting over weapons or trying to keep their dragons under control. The dragons that weren't running amuck were trying to keep their riders under control.

Ah, the joys of living on a dragon populated island.

She was worried, though. Hiccup was right; two days wasn't enough time to get an entire island ready for war, especially against Drago, and now they only had one more day left to go before Drago arrived. And that was still at most. In honesty, Drago could have arrived at any given moment, be it five minutes or another whole twenty four hour period.

A Night Fury screech filled the air, followed by the sight of Toothless landing on the ground, Hiccup dismounting the dragon. "Whoa, whoa, hang on!" Hiccup yelled desperately, taking off after two dragons that were hissing and snarling and snapping at each other. Hiccup threw dragon nip at the both of them, and they made small moans of pleasure before dropping to the ground in peaceful slumber.

Hiccup then spun around and saw the other dragons were no different then the first two. His shoulders slumped. "Perfect," he muttered.

Astrid approached him a moment later, ducking beneath a flock of Terrible Terrors fighting over a fish. "Hiccup, this plaza is like a war zone in it of itself!" Astrid exclaimed. "How long has this been going on?"

"All day!" the voice of Snotlout shouted as he landed Hookfang beside his cousin. "They're been bickering and fighting _forever_ now, and it's...well, I love a good brawl." The burly boy dismounted his Monstrous Nightmare and patted its head. "But this is getting out of hand."

"I don't say this often enough, Snotlout," Hiccup said, "but you're right. If we don't think of something soon, these Berkians are going to kill each other and save Drago the trouble, and I really don't want that happening. Um...Astrid, if you could do the honors?"

Astrid nodded. "Alright," she said, taking a deep breath. **"ALL OF YOU NO-GOOD LIMP TROLLS HAVE BETTER SHUT YOUR BLASTED TRAPS AND LISTEN TO YOUR CHIEF FOR ONCE IN YOUR MISERABLE LIVES!"** she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Almost instantly, she got the silence she wanted. Even the dragons looked spooked. "Now!" she said. "You are going to cooperate, AND YOU ARE GOING TO LIKE IT! GO TO YOUR POSTS AND GET READY TO WIN THIS WAR!"

The Berkians saluted with a nervous, terrified, "yes ma'am!" before turning and running off. In a matter of minutes, the plaza was full of busy, cooperating Berkians working together.

"Thank you, Astrid," Hiccup said. "I don't know what I would do without you. Snotlout, have you seen Gobber lately?"

Snotlout nodded. "I talked to him this morning," he said. "He said that all the elders and children and people who can't fight are now safely in the Whispering Death tunnels, where they belong. We have guards positioned all around there, and Eret's at the dungeon with Fire Lily. The soldiers, for the most part, are ready, and Toothless has pretty much got the other dragons under control." Toothless snorted as if saying, _of course I do._ "Although, of course," Snotlout said, "two days isn't nearly enough time…"

"We have to make due with what we have," Hiccup interrupted. "We don't have a choice. I want you to _be sure of it_ that we're ready on all sides. I want soldiers on the East, West, North, and South sides of Berk. I'm not taking any chances. If Drago attacks from an unguarded side, then there's no telling what he will do before we learn of his presence. Got it?"

Snotlout nodded curtly, muttering something under his breath as he mounted Hookfang and took to the sky, towards the Great Hall. Hiccup sighed and looked down at the ground. Really, he was lost. He didn't know what he was doing or what to do. He felt nauseous again, but forced his breakfast to stay in his stomach. He didn't have time to be sick. He didn't have time for _anything,_ as it seemed.

Nothing except putting himself down over and over and over again until he felt like the useless failure he always thought himself to be.

He felt Astrid's hand grip his tightly, and he squeezed back, meeting her eyes. "It's going to work out fine," he said, although it sounded as though he were reassuring himself more than anything. "We'll beat Drago, once and for all, and we'll never have to see that madman again for as long as we live."

He said it with such ferocity that Astrid was momentarily taken back. "Hey," she said, "don't worry. I'm sure we'll kick his behind all the way to America and back...if America existed, we would, anyways."

Hiccup lowered his gaze. "You always know what to do to make me feel better," he whispered. Astrid was unsure of whether or not he was joking.

"Well-"

She couldn't get a word out elsewise before Valka's loud voice met their ears. "Hiccup!" she shouted, landing Cloudjumper directly in front of the duo, dismounting quickly before racing over to them.

"Mom!" Hiccup exclaimed in response. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Valka panted momentarily before getting her breath back. "Ships," she said. "Ships have been spotted from the North."

Hiccup's eyes darkened. "How?" he blurted. "How can they be here? We were supposed to have more time...alright, nevermind. Go get Snotlout and tell him to get some of the South soldiers to help the Northern ones-"

"Hiccup, we can't do that," Valka said. "There are ships coming from the South, too."

"What about the-"

"Hiccup, the ships are coming from all directions," Valka said urgently. "We're being surrounded."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi guys! Sorry these last few chapters have taken so long...I've had my nose buried in schoolwork, and when not schoolwork, Harry Potter books. I might have to write a Harry Potter fanfiction here pretty soon...maybe. I'm still debating. I'm not sure either way. I love the series...I'm trying to plan out a fanfiction...if I can...**

 **Anyways, enjoy chapter 16! :D**

* * *

Hiccup barely had time to process what his mother had told him before the shouts of "SHIPS! DRAGO'S HERE!" echoed throughout Berk. Soldiers ran from left to right, holding weapons and shields and basically everything you could possibly wish to have during a war. Some of the soldiers were running towards the North, while others were running towards South, West, and East.

"It's too soon," Hiccup said, shaking his head feverishly back and forth as if it would somehow solve their problem. "We're not ready!"

"Hiccup, we have to do _something!"_ Astrid said. "Come on! We have to go fight them! If we can take on Drago, and kill him, then I doubt the rest of his fleet will-" He cut her off by grabbing her wrists. For a few moments, she said nothing. And then- "Hiccup," Astrid said, because she knew what he was going to do.

"No," Hiccup said. His grip on her wrists was almost painful. "You told me you were going to stay safe. You're going to, too, and I'm going to make sure of it." He took her hand, turned, and ran up the steps leading to their house. Astrid didn't struggle, simply because she didn't see a point.

 _But I can't let him keep me here,_ she reminded herself. _He needs my help...he looks as pale and weak and sick as it is. He needs me to be there for him. He needs me to help him fight Drago._

As soon as the thought was out of her head, she found that Hiccup had taken her to the loft. He finally let go of her wrists, and she yanked them backwards as if she had done it herself.

"Now stay here," Hiccup said. "Please, please stay here, Astrid."

Astrid's mind was fighting itself; she was torn between listening to him and blatantly stomping her foot against him. At long last, she managed to shake her head. "No," she said. "No, I'm not staying here, Hiccup, and you can't make me. I'm not going to leave you for dead. Drago's going to target you, and you know it. And I know you're going to target him right back."

Hiccup shook his head, his eyes widened in shock. "No," he said. "No, you can't fight, Astrid. I won't let you. I can't let you get hurt."

"I won't get hurt!" Astrid promised. "I won't!"

"I don't know that, Astrid!" Hiccup said.

"Well, can you promise me that you won't get hurt?" Astrid said. "Can you promise me that you won't!?"

Hiccup looked outside the window. He could see the ships. The sky seemed to darken just for the occasion. "We don't have time for this," Hiccup said. "I don't have time to get you underground, so you're just going to have to-"

"NO," Astrid said. "NO, I WON'T STAY HERE!"

Hiccup sighed. "I'm sorry, Astrid," he said. "I didn't want to do this…"

Before she could even wonder what he meant, something was shoved over her nose and mouth. It smelled sharp, strong, and unmistakably like herbs.

She struggled...but then she felt lightheaded...she felt herself falling...she was unconscious...

Hiccup caught his now unconscious wife underneath her arms and dragged her towards the bed, whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over again. He was _so, so_ glad he had managed to get those sleeping herbs that morning as soon as he woke up; somehow, he had the feeling that Astrid wasn't going to let the whole "not fighting" thing go down easily. And he was prepared for it, too.

He dragged a rope out from underneath the bed and bound Astrid's wrists behind her back. He tried not to do it too tightly, but at the same time, tight enough so that she couldn't wriggle out of them. Without giving her more than four inches of slack, he tied the remaining rope around the bedpost, keeping it tied securely.

"I'm sorry, Astrid," he whispered, kissing her forehead, wondering if it would be the last time he ever kissed her. "I'm so sorry."

He turned and raced back out of the house before he could change his mind.

Drago's soldiers were already there, fighting against each other. Blood stained the ground, along with fallen soldiers and battle weapons littering the island. Hiccup paled when he thought about what the rest of the isle looked like, if all of Drago's ships had arrived at the same time.

Drago, yes. That was his target. He was going to find Drago, and bring him to justice. Drago killed his father, and Hiccup was going to make sure the deranged madman knew how wrong that was.

He found Drago on one of the ships; the biggest one, of course. He _was_ the leader, after all. His ship was bigger than the others. Drago Bludvist stepped down the plank and motioned for his soldiers to attack the surrounding Berkians. They did so without hesitation, and Hiccup couldn't help but feel even sicker when he considered how _cheerful_ Drago's men looked. As if slaughtering innocent people were child's play and a whole lot of fun.

Drago smiled as soon as he saw Hiccup, the grin twisted and menacing. He didn't look much different then he had the first time Hiccup had seen him, only now he looked so much more...what's the word... _evil_ and _intimidating._ Especially with his entire fleet to back him up.

Drago grinned. "Ah," he said. "The great Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, back on his feet, I suppose, although I bet you're still feeling the after effects of that poison."

Hiccup frowned. "How would you know about the poison?" he asked, although he was already pretty sure he knew the horrible answer.

Drago smiled. "Why of course," he said, "I was the one who disguised some of my soldiers as Lava Louts. They were the ones that poisoned the barrels; not the Lava Louts."

Hiccup felt so terrible. His island had locked up innocent people...so much for a peace treaty. He was sure he just blew any chance of peace he ever had between him and the Lava Lout tribe. Hiccup was almost certain he saw Snotlout in the corner of his eye, running towards the dungeon.

 _What's he doing? It's too late. The Lava Louts aren't going to forgive us. Peace is impossible. We have to fight and win this war alone, or we don't do it at all._

"You framed them," Hiccup said, "and you picked the perfect time to do it, too. What better time to accuse someone of poisoning another tribe then in the middle of their peace treaty signing?"

Drago smiled. "You've still got your spunk, Hiccup, I'll give you that much," he said. "Now, look-"

"WATCH OUT!"

Hiccup wanted to know what that sound was; it sounded remarkably like screaming soldiers, coming from behind him. He spun around, his eyes widening in shock.

Lava Lout soldiers were racing out of the dungeon, swords raised over their heads, screams and warcries tearing from their throats.


	17. Chapter 17

**HI, I'M SO SORRY GUYS! I REALLY AM! I've been so CRAZY these past few days, and I apologize a thousand times over! This fic is almost done, I believe. I'm hoping to _at least_ reach 20 chapters, so we're nearing the end! :D I think I'm going to start posting "Stay With Me" after this (see the Poll on my profile for more info). **

**And, I wanted to know, what do you guys think of my new profile picture? I'm thinking, since I've began writing in different fandoms, I would just keep this profile picture with the BeyondTheClouds777 thing on it, as opposed to having a picture of Hiccup and Astrid when I'm writing something like a Harry Potter fanfiction or an Attack on Titan fanfiction, or whatever.**

 **Let me know what you think, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! :D**

* * *

Hiccup had never been more shocked before in his entire life. At first, he was worried that the Lava Louts were coming to attack the Berkians, joining Drago's side. _I wouldn't blame them. We wrongly accused them._ I _wrongly accused them, and look how wrong I really was._

Right up until the Lava Louts targeted Drago's men instead. They fought like men who didn't know the meaning of peace or mercy. They fought like deranged maniacs. Drago's men at some points were seen running in terror with Lava Louts chasing them, waving their weapons as if they were a metal they were showing off.

Hiccup soon caught sight of the Lava Lout Chief, and instantly ran towards him. The Chief turned to the Chief of the Berkians as he warded off another soldier.

"Chief Hiccup!" he said. "You're-"

"Sorry," Hiccup cut in. "I'm so sorry, I accused you without knowing the facts, my people put you in prison-"

"Don't apologize now, lad!" Fearsome exclaimed. "I would have done the same thing! In honesty, I think you did the right thing. You were protecting your own! That's what every good Chief is supposed to do! And as for the peace treaty…" He knocked one of Drago's soldiers off balance and then knocked him unconscious with the flat of his axe. He looked back at Hiccup. "Consider it signed," he smiled.

Hiccup smiled back. "Thank you," he whispered. Then, he turned and raced away to make sure the herbs he gave Astrid hadn't worn off. That would have been absolutely positively _awful._ The last thing he wanted was to see his wife fighting.

No. The last thing he wanted was to see his wife lying dead or injured or dying on the battlefield.

The color drained from his face at the thought, and he ran faster. Soldiers were fighting left to right; Toothless was leading the dragons, and the dragons were helping Berkians at every chance they got. All in all, Hiccup thought the fight was going pretty good.

He was at his house before he even knew it. He ran up the stairs and found Astrid where he had left her; unconscious with her head against the side of the desk. He realized then that he had forgotten about taking her axe...if she woke up with that, then she could _easily_ get out of her bonds.

So, he took the axe out of its sheath and then leaned it up against the wall. He looked back outside and raced, his feet working to move as fast as humanly possible.

He failed to notice how Astrid's eyes were fluttering.

He failed to notice that nearly ten seconds after he left the house, they opened.

Astrid's vision swam into focus slowly, taking all the time in the world. She shook her head, the blurry images clearing until she found herself in the loft. She double blinked, shut her eyes, and shook her head once again, trying to remember…

She then noticed that there was a feeling of something pressing against her wrists. She tried to move them, and then found that she couldn't. She looked over her shoulder, barely making out the brown, twisted fabric of rope bound tightly around her wrists, tying them together. The other end of the rope was tied securely to the bedpost.

She was stuck.

Hiccup had tied her.

The idiot.

Wait…

 _Hiccup…_

"HICCUP!" she screamed. Her memory came flooding back like water leaking through a dam; she was going to go help him take on Drago, he told her no, she didn't listen...he must have knocked her out somehow, because now, she woke up on the floor with her hands tied behind her back.

With her axe leaning up against the wall across the room.

Astrid promised that as soon as she got free and saved Hiccup, she was going to kill him. He knocked her out, tied her up, _and_ on top of that, stripped her of her weapon. She struggled against her bonds, but the only thing it resulted in was the ropes biting into her skin and stinging her flesh. She ignored it, yanking and tugging on them, her mind set on getting free and getting free only.

She had to save Hiccup before it was too late.

…

Hiccup felt guilty about what he had done to Astrid, but at the same time, he was relieved that she was finally safe. Unconscious and tied, but safe nonetheless. If something happened to her or their unborn child...the grief would most likely kill him, and he knew it.

Besides, it wasn't as though he did anything wrong. He was just protecting his family. What was so wrong about that? And, quite honestly, what did Astrid expect him to do? Did she actually expect he would let her fight?

Oh please. You were more likely to see Toothless' left tailfin grow back.

Hiccup landed Toothless directly in front of Drago. Almost instantly, the Night Fury spun and took on soldiers who tried to approach his rider, and Hiccup let the dragon. He knew he could only take on Drago and Drago only. Other soldiers would most likely end up decapitating him.

Hiccup drew Inferno, the sword extending completely before the fire engulfed the blade like rivers. Hiccup swished it through the air for a dramatic effect. He did love to be dramatic.

Drago laughed coldly. "So, here we are?" he said, gesturing to the battle raging around them. "The end of the line, is it? I've taken on many islands in the past, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third." He took a step forward, but Hiccup didn't back down. "Your puny island won't be any different."

"You've done too many barbarous things in your life, Drago," Hiccup said. "I won't let killing everyone on this island another add-on to your list."

Drago smiled. "You say that now, Hiccup," he said, "but you don't know how it's going to turn out." He drew his sword, the metal scraping up against the sheath. The sword reflected Inferno's fire-lit blade. "It started with the death of your father," he said, "and it ends now, with me being the victor."

"You'll win over my dead body," Hiccup growled.

"That can be arranged," Drago grinned.

And then they charged.

...

Astrid yanked and twisted against the ropes around her wrists without success. If only she could get to her axe...if only. Wishing wasn't helping anything, she realized after another moment. She couldn't scream for help; no one would hear her over the battle consuming the island. She had to get out herself. She had to do it alone.

She put her foot against the bedpost and pushed herself backwards. The ropes cut her skin, giving her rope burns and painful scrapes, but she ignored it. She had to ignore it. She stopped when her wrists hurt too much and tried to lean backwards to try it again.

She bashed the back of her head against the desk. At first, she scowled.

Until something small and shiny fell off the desk she had bumped. She stared at it, wondering if it could be true.

Hiccup's dagger.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry this took me so long, guys! School has been crazy! For a while, I thought I was doing real good, and then, someone asked me, "So, how's that essay coming?" and I panicked like, "Essay!? WHAT ESSAY!?" But it's totally cool now, and I'm on schedule! :D But, nevermind that. It has nothing to do with the story at hand.**

 **So, most of you know that I'm shortening the time I'm going to be writing fanfictions, so, I'll be on hiatus through November and returning in December, just because of school and such. But I'm hoping to finish this story by the 22nt of this month (hopefully! :D) and starting "Stay With Me" on the 23rd of this month. **

**So, without further announcements or adieu, on with chapter 18! (And I apologize in advance for the cliffhanger, lol). Enjoy! :D**

* * *

Inferno clashed against Drago's sword, sparks flying. Hiccup pulled his sword arm back and went in for Drago's shoulder. Drago was quick at blocking the blow, and Hiccup was quick at defending himself when Drago went to stab his stomach.

 _He doesn't want me alive,_ Hiccup realized. _He's fighting to kill._

 _Well, two can play at this game._

He felt sick at the thought of actually killing anyone, but at the same time, he knew he would do anything for his island and his people. But of course, he knew he was going to try to reason with Drago before actually killing him.

Even if he knew Drago would never listen to anyone. He had to try.

"You cannot beat me, Hiccup," Drago said as he walked casually. Hiccup took a step backwards, Inferno clenched tightly in his fists.

"But at least I can try," Hiccup said in response. Drago charged, and Hiccup lifted his sword to defend himself.

Unfortunately, Drago had the advantage in strength. He twisted his sword, and Inferno flew from Hiccup's grip. Hiccup watched his sword clatter to the ground out of his reach.

He was defenseless.

Drago seized him by the throat and threw him up against the side of a building. Hiccup's back took the hit, slamming into the sturdy wood so hard he was certain he heard one of his ribs crack.

He crumpled to the ground.

…

Astrid just barely - _just, just barely -_ managed to touch the dagger with her foot. She then kicked it towards her, taking it both of her bound hands. Carefully - ever so carefully - she slipped the dagger between her hands, felt for the rope, and started sawing the bindings. It took longer than she wished, and she was frantic. _Hiccup could be dead by now,_ she reminded herself. The thought made her work faster.

At long last, the ropes fell from her hands. She dropped the dagger and checked her wrists. They were rubbed scratchy and raw by her struggling against the ropes, but she hardly cared. She raced towards the door, grabbed her axe, and darted outside.

…

Hiccup propped himself up on his arm, gasping for breath and trying desperately not to show his pain openly. Drago approached him, and Hiccup slid backwards, his arm wrapped around his ribs.

Drago sighed. "You're so pathetic," he said. "Killing you will be _so_ easy. All it'll take is the right stab of the sword...right through your chest and piercing your heart...have you ever been pierced in the heart before, Hiccup?"

Hiccup paled.

"I didn't think so," Drago said; he grinned, and that was probably the most terrifying thing about him. "But I don't think I'll kill you _just_ yet. First, I have to make sure everyone sees your death...you know, as a public display of the weakness of their chief...and I think I'll start by cutting your arm off. You lost a leg, and now you will learn my pain of losing an arm." He raised his sword and brought it down.

Hiccup barely managed to roll out of the way of Drago's sword, and the blade sank into the ground. Drago growled, trying to yank his weapon out although it was stuck tight. Hiccup took the chance and got to his feet, running towards Inferno.

It was all going great, until he was tripped. Drago had gotten his sword free, and he kicked Hiccup's legs as he tried to make a get away. Hiccup's feet disappeared from underneath him, and he fell, landing on his front, biting his tongue to keep from screaming in pain.

He definitely broke a rib. No doubt about it now.

Drago stood over him. "Long be the reign of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," he hissed.

He brought his sword down…

There was a CLASH of metal against metal, and Hiccup opened his eyes in shock. Astrid was standing, putting herself between Hiccup and Drago, her axe smashing up against Drago's sword.

Drago stumbled backwards, his sword flying from his grip. Astrid stood her ground, approaching the madman with a snarl on her face.

"Touch my husband again, and I will kill you," Astrid hissed.

Before Drago could utter a response elsewise, Berkian soldiers raced towards him, and he was forced to stand up, take up his sword, and fight them off. Astrid spun around, dropping her axe, her eyes going from furious to horrified in a split second.

"Hiccup!" she yelped, throwing herself down beside him. He regarded her blearily as if he didn't see her properly. She didn't know how badly he had been injured. Head trauma, possibly? She lifted his head and shoulders into her lap to give him the reassurance that she was real. "I told you not to do it alone!" she scolded him, although it was halfheartedly done and with a choked tone of voice. She had planned so many things to say to him while she was tied, but now she just couldn't say anything.

"Ast...I...told you...no…" Hiccup whispered, his eyes shut. "The baby...you shouldn...be here…"

"Oh shut up," Astrid said through her clenched teeth. "Shut up, you're hurt. Come on, I've got to get you somewhere safe." She made a move to stand, trying to pull him up with her. He tried to cooperate, and failed miserably.

"Astrid," he moaned.

"No," Astrid hissed. "No, shut up. Shut up, Hiccup. The baby needs his father, Hiccup. Come on, lean on me...you're…"

Before she had time to finish her thought, they heard a shout, followed by the sight of Drago standing over the moaning bodies of Berkians.

They were half unconscious and bloody. Hiccup felt the need to be sick now. Drago locked eyes with him, and Hiccup looked back at Astrid.

"Astrid," he said, "you have to let me go, and then get out of here. Now."

"I'm not leaving you," Astrid said, kissing his head. "We get out of here together or not at all, understand?"

Hiccup wasn't listening. Instead, he lifted his head and shouted, "SNOTLOUT!" at the top of his lungs.

In a few moments, Snotlout swooped over them on Hookfang. "Snotlout," Hiccup breathed in relief. "Take Astrid out of here."

"WHAT!?" Astrid blurted. "NO! Snotlout, don't do it!"

Snotlout ignored her. "Yes, Chief," he said. Hookfang grabbed Astrid and plucked her off the ground as if she weighed nothing.

"NO!" Astrid shrieked, kicking her feet wildly although it did nothing. "PUT ME DOWN, SNOTLOUT!"

Hiccup sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you," he whispered. Then, he turned around, ignored his burning ribs, grabbed Inferno, and raced towards Drago.

It all happened so suddenly that he hardly had time to process what had happened. He shoved Inferno straight at Drago's chest, and with a wet, sickening _THUNK,_ Hiccup knew that he had met his mark. He heard Drago scream in pain, and the next thing he knew, he was lifted off his feet and hurled over a cliff.

He felt himself falling. He knew it wasn't a very high cliffside...but high enough to cause grave injury or death.

As he slammed into the ground, he felt something snap and twist; his neck? His back? His body as a whole? He couldn't tell, because a darkness was invading his mind...it grabbed him, and dragged him down...and down...and down…

...and down...


	19. Chapter 19

**So, I know last chapter was awful...and yes, I did feel like I was rushing, so this chapter's the length of two and a half chapters...and just so you know, it's the second to last chapter in the entire story. I'm sorry it's going so short...there just isn't a whole lot to write about in this chapter...not a whole lot to cover...I cover _enough_ , of course, but...well...let me know what you think. Sorry if it's awful. I've been really tired and kinda depressed about school recently...I'm doing really good at school, of course, and I'm actually ahead of my schedule, but, well, I'm sure you guys know how it is. **

**Let me know what you think, and I'll see you all next chapter! :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Astrid had just enough time to watch Hiccup attack Drago. She watched as Inferno connected with Drago's chest in a sickening way, and then watched with horror as Drago grabbed her husband and hurled him off the side of the cliff as if he were a ragdoll.

"NO!" Astrid screeched. "SNOTLOUT! He's hurt! Snotlout, he's hurt bad! Drago tossed him off the cliff! Snotlout!"

It took but a moment before Snotlout was turning Hookfang and headed back in that direction. All around them, the Berkians were winning the battle. Drago's soldiers were powerless and witless without their leader.

As they passed Drago's body, Astrid managed to get a good look at him, and instantly wished that she hadn't. He was dead; no one could survive a blade to the heart like that.

 _Can Hiccup survive a fall like that?_ she thought as she looked at the cliff.

Hookfang soared downwards, and Astrid couldn't stop herself from shrieking "HICCUP!" as the Nightmare dropped her to the ground once they were close enough. She stumbled in her haste on her first few steps, and then continued forward, running towards Hiccup as terror overwhelmed every fiber of her being.

He was lying on his back, and Astrid didn't even think to consider what injuries he could have earned before she collapsed and pulled him into her arms. He was pale and limp, and it terrified her. Blood trickled from his mouth to his chin, and Astrid couldn't help but let her tears fall.

"Hiccup," she gasped. "Hiccup…" She could see the weak rise and fall of his chest, but she didn't know how long it would last. "Hiccup, talk to me," she pleaded desperately. "Say something, please."

He coughed, and more blood trickled from his mouth. "As...tr...ddd…" he choked, his eyes just barely open, his pupils dilated.

"I'm here, I'm here, idiot," she replied, sobs strangling her voice. "I'm right here. H-hey, look at me." She caressed his cheek and gently turned his head in her direction. She was worried he had some sort of spinal injury, and knew that she probably shouldn't have moved him at all, but she was panicking too much. Hiccup tried to focus on her, and failed.

"Stay with me," Astrid whispered. "Stay with me, stay with me, Hiccup. You're going to be alright."

"Astr…"

Astrid shook her head. She couldn't bear to listen to her husband's choked, weak, thready voice. "Shh," she whispered. "You have to be alright," she said, stroking his bangs off his forehead. "You have to be. We're going to be parents, Hiccup." She was crying freely now, and there was no way for her to stop her tears. "Our baby needs his father. Just stay awake, Hiccup. Stay awake…"

The next time she looked at Hiccup's eyes, she saw that they were closed. Panic flooded over her. "Hiccup...Hiccup!" she yelled. "No! Stay with me, Hiccup!" She pressed her ear against his chest and waited for one terrifying moment.

 _Please, please, please…_

For one fleeting, terrifying moment, she couldn't hear his heartbeat. And then...barely audible...there was a thump against her ear.

He was still breathing.

He was still alive.

Astrid laughed on choked sobs giddily, thankful beyond measure. Hiccup was alive. He was in terrible shape, but he was alive.

She had to get him back to the village.

That was the most important thing on her mind.

…

"Hiccup. Hiccup?"

The first thing he fully registered was a muffled voice. It sounded oddly choked, like the voice that belonged to someone who had been crying and panicking for days. He wondered briefly who the voice belonged to...but at the same time, he was so tired…

"Hiccup...wake up."

He recognized the voice now after hearing it a second time; Astrid. He would know that voice anywhere. Except...his mind was fuzzy. He couldn't think clearly. All he wanted to do was sleep. Nice, calm, relaxing sleep…

"Please wake up."

But how could he sleep when someone was telling him to wake up? He didn't _want_ to wake up. He wanted to _sleep_. Was that too much to ask?

"Astrid, don't. You know what the healer said." That was a different voice; one Hiccup also recognized. His mother. She was there, too? What was going on? The last thing Hiccup remembered was…

Oh, right. The last thing he remembered was falling off a cliff. That would explain quite a few things.

"I know," Astrid's voice said. "But...Valka, he's just so…" Her voice trailed off, and she sighed.

"I know," Valka's voice said calmly, "but the healer said that he has to rest. He'll wake up when he's ready. We can't force him."

Sleep suddenly didn't sound so inviting. He wanted to get up, say something, maybe comfort his mother or his wife…

But he was so _tired…_

"You're right," Astrid said. "You're right." That was the last thing Hiccup heard before he was whisked away to unconsciousness once again.

…

He woke up feeling more aware than he had the previous time. Since he was more awake, he was able to feel a dull, throbbing ache in his spine along with the lingering feeling of his broken ribs. He didn't want to wake up. Now, more than anything, he wanted to be unconscious again. Nice, peaceful unconsciousness, yes, when his injuries didn't hurt and he didn't worry about his island...the battle...how his wife could have been hurt...how his family could have been killed in the battle…

His eyes shot open. The nearly blinding sunlight left him squinting until his eyes adjusted. He felt unbelievably sore all over; his ribs hurt, his head hurt, his back hurt…

"Hiccup!?"

He looked over to the side. Astrid was sitting on a stool, staring at him as if he were a ghost.

"You're...you're…" Astrid stuttered. "You're awake!" she exclaimed after finally finding her voice. She ran her fingers through her bangs, breathing erratically.

Hiccup managed a small, weak smile in return. "No, I'm the ghost come back to haunt you," he joked.

Astrid half laughed and half sobbed. "HICCUP!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and squeezing him tightly. A sharp, stabbing pain raced up Hiccup's spine, but he ignored it as best as was possible.

At length, it became unbearable. "Okay, okay, Astrid," he whispered, hugging her back as best as he could. "You can let me go now."

She pulled away instantly. "Sorry, sorry," she said, wiping at her eyes feverishly. "I just...I'm...I can't believe you're…" She let her voice trail off as she took his hand tightly in her own. "We didn't think you would make it," she whispered.

Hiccup blinked at her. "What happened, exactly?" he asked.

Astrid looked up at him so suddenly it was almost scary. "You snapped part of your backbone," she said breathlessly. "You didn't mess up your spinal chord, so you don't have to worry about paralysis...but...your ribs…" She shook her head again. "You've been out for days," she said. "We were so worried." She ran her fingers through his hair, and Hiccup was tempted to fall asleep once again. "Oh! Wait!" Astrid said. "Do you want some water? I mean, you've been out for days...nevermind, don't answer that question. I'm _getting you water,_ and _you_ are going to _drink it,_ and you are going to _like it_. You hear me? I won't have you getting dehydrated, understand?"

Hiccup nodded. Water sounded absolutely amazing. His throat felt dry as if he hadn't drank anything in days.

Maybe he hadn't? Astrid did say he had been out for days, after all.

She smiled at him, kissing his forehead. "Good," she said. "I'll send your mother up for you...she'll be so happy you're awake. She's hardly slept at all these past few days…"

"And what about you?" Hiccup asked. "A-are you alright? The baby?"

"We're alright, Hiccup," Astrid assured him. "We all are. The Lava Louts really saved our lives back there...I'm surprised…"

Hiccup suddenly thought of something he hadn't before. "How many deaths were there?" he asked. He tried to push himself into a sitting position, stopping just long enough to shout "Aaaagh!" in pain before falling back sharply again.

Astrid grabbed him, firmly yet gently, the side of his head pressed against her stomach as she tried to steady him. After a few more moments, his breathing returned to normal. He made a mental note _not_ to sit up again. At least not without help, anyways.

Astrid looked down at him, looking torn between furious and concerned. "What part of 'you snapped part of your backbone', do you not understand, Hiccup?" she questioned.

Hiccup didn't answer. The pain in his back was still unbearable, and he couldn't move anything else without some part of him hurting. Astrid had said something about his ribs, and HIccup now understood that he must have broken some of them, if the pain of breathing was any indication.

Astrid sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Hiccup, if you're mad at me for that, but...you have to admit, I saved your life, and-"

Hiccup groaned in response. "Astrid," he said, "I am mad at you for disobeying, but...thank you. I...I owe you my life…" He felt exhaustion sweep over him, and he closed his eyes

"Hey, wait!" Astrid said. "You need to drink some water before you sleep, Hiccup!"

Hiccup was almost too tired to care. Almost, because he cared about his wife's wishes. He opened his eyes and blinked up at her. "I'm tired," he moaned.

"I know," Astrid said. "The healer said you would be, but..oh, just give me two minutes. You can drink your water, stay hydrated, and then sleep, alright? Just...here, I'll send your mother up here too and tell her you're awake, alright?"

Hiccup nodded, and Astrid laid him back down once again, a thick blanket cushioned beneath his back and another one over his body. Astrid tucked it more firmly around him, and left for downstairs.

There were hushed whispers for a few moments, and then a surprised, shocked, overjoyed "WHAT!?", followed by frantic footsteps. Valka stood in the doorway, looking tired and concerned yet happy all the same. "Great Thor, HICCUP!" she exclaimed, racing towards him. Hiccup braced himself for the hug he knew was coming, and although Valka's arms around his shoulders caused him pain, he was able to ignore it and hug his mother back.

There was always something comforting about being hugged by his mother that Hiccup simply couldn't grasp. When Astrid hugged him, he always felt reassured and calmed and comforted, but there was something special about his mother's strong yet gentle caring arms that he just couldn't wrap his mind around.

He had only had a mother for a year; he would learn more about it as he spent more time with her.

She pulled away at length, wiping tears away from her eyes, looking down at her son briefly before caressing his cheek. "You took twenty years off my life, Hiccup," she sobbed. "When Snotlout and Astrid brought you back, I thought...I thought…" She paused only for a moment. "Oh, Hiccup."

"Mom-"

"Hush. Astrid's mad at you for not waking up sooner." Valka shook her head, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "She was so worried, son," she continued. "She never left your side, and she only slept and ate and kept herself healthy because I made her."

"Thank you," Hiccup said. "She can be so stubborn sometimes…"

Valka smiled. "And you know that's why you two go so good together," she said. "Because you're both stubborn and know what it's like to be stubborn and can get mad at each other for it."

Hiccup managed to smile in return. "I suppose there's that one specific thing," he prompted.

Valka laughed softly, ruffling Hiccup's hair. "I'm glad you're feeling better," she said. "What about the pain? Is it bad?"

Hiccup shrugged, but even that simple movement caused him to grimace. "It's not bad as long as I don't move," he said. "When I stay still, it's more of a dull throbbing than anything."

Valka gave him a sympathetic glance. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," she whispered.

Hiccup would have shrugged if the action didn't cause him pain. "Occupational hazard?" he quipped

Valka laughed softly and shook her head. "Don't make it a habit, son," she said.

Hiccup thought about how Astrid refused to answer his question. "Mom," he said, "how many deaths were there?"

"None, actually, thanks to the Lava Louts," Valka assured him. "Quite a few injured, but they're being taken care of. Drago's army was practically no more - maybe two hundred men remained at most. But when Drago was killed...well, it rocked their worlds. Most of them retreated in fear. The rest of them were killed."

Hiccup sighed. He hated hearing about so much death, even if it was from the enemy side. Valka put her hand on his forehead as if sensing his distress. She let her hand linger for a few more moments before removing it.

Astrid clammered up the stairs a moment later. "I'm back!" she sang. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did," Hiccup said. She handed him the cup of water and helped him sit up just long enough to drink it. The cool liquid felt good against his dry throat, and he relaxed instantly. Once the water in the cup had been downed, he laid back again.

"We won the battle," he breathed.

Astrid smiled. "Yeah, we did," she said. "The Lava Louts are still here, just so you know. It only seemed fair, if you know what I mean. To let them stay, I mean. There are a few injured on their side, and the healers are taking care of it. And according to Snotlout, they're waiting for you to sign the peace treaty." She smiled even bigger. "So you had better heal up, idiot."

"Yes ma'am."

…

The peace treaty signing took place nearly two weeks later, when Hiccup and the other Berkians who had been injured in the battle felt well enough to be walking. The pain in HIccup's ribs and back had dulled down to the point where he only felt it if he moved his body the wrong way, and he was careful to avoid that. According to Astrid, the healer said it could take another month or two before he was able to go back to his normal everyday chores, but in honesty, he wasn't complaining much. As long as he wasn't bedridden, he was fine.

He watched the Chief of the Lava Louts sign his name at the bottom of the page, and then step back to let Hiccup take the charcoal. Hiccup signed his own name: _Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third,_ and then stepped back as well.

"The treaty has been signed!" Gobber cheered.

The rest of the people burst into cheers.

* * *

 **So, one more chapter to go! If you guys want a bonus one-shot about Hiccup's full recovery, I'll probably post one on "Ouch!" eventually. :) See you guys soon, hopefully! :)**


	20. Epilogue

_**MONTHS LATER . . .**_

"They've been in there for hours...what if something went wrong? Oh, what if something's _going_ wrong as we speak? IT shouldn't take this long, it's not...it's not supposed to, is it? Someone tell me, because I have no idea and I am _really freaking out here._ Oh Thor, what if-"

"Hiccup, you need to stop freaking out."

"FREAKING OUT!? I'M NOT FREAKING OUT! ARE YOU FREAKING OUT!? NO!"

"Calm down, please."

"THIS IS CALM! I AM CALM! I AM BEING PERFECTLY CALM! I AM THE KING OF CALM!"

"You're really _not_ , son."

Hiccup paced back and forth in front of his mother in the main room of their house, wringing his hands together, a constant worry plaguing his mind. Astrid was in childbirth, and all he could do is pace, voice his worries out loud, or worry himself to the point where he was sick.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm just...I...I'm worried."

"I know you are," Valka said. "You know, your father was panicked when you were born. You remind me of him, Hiccup. And then, he was overly protective of me and you afterwards." Valka smiled.

"I can see that," Hiccup said, picturing the image of his mind. "But it really doesn't make me feel any better." Toothless bumped him from behind, cooing worriedly, and Hiccup rubbed the dragon's head. "How long does it take?"

"It depends," Valka said.

As if on cue, the door of the loft was swung open, followed by footsteps. Hiccup's head whipped in the direction, and he raced forward as the healer walked down the stairs.

"Well?" Hiccup asked. He had hoped for his voice to come out as harsh and demanding, but instead, it came out as a worried croak. "What is it?"

The healer gestured to the stairs, a smile on her face. "Why don't you go see for yourself?" she offered.

Hiccup didn't know what that meant, so he took to taking her advice. He raced upstairs, skipping every other step in his haste. His mind raced. What if something went wrong? What if one of them didn't make it? What if…

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Hiccup froze in place as soon as he got to the top of the stairs. He put his hand over his mouth to keep any noises he might have made contained.

Astrid looked tired, but she was beaming brighter than Hiccup had ever seen her before. She was holding a bundle in her arms, rocking it back and forth gently.

Hiccup made a sobbing noise in his throat. He never thought this moment would ever come, when he would become a father, and Astrid a mother. Astrid looked in his direction and smiled brightly. She motioned with her head for him to approach, and he did, his footsteps breaking the silence that had befallen the room. Hiccup sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at his wife first and then looking at his child.

"It's a girl," Astrid whispered. Her voice sounded weak but at the same time, with happiness overflowing her tone. Hiccup still could hardly register what he was seeing. His daughter was _beautiful._ In his life, Hiccup had never seen something so beautiful.

"Do you want to hold her?" Astrid offered.

Hiccup paused. He wanted to hold her; really, he did, but he was worried at the same time. "I...what...what if I drop her-?" he began, only for Astrid to cut him off.

"Oh, shut up and hold your daughter," she said. Before Hiccup could protest, Astrid was handing her to him, and Hiccup took her. "Just support her head...yeah, there you go."

As soon as Hiccup had his daughter in his arms, all his fear vanished. He stared at his little girl, unable to keep back the few tears of joy that fell from his eyes. Astrid smirked at him. "There," she said. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Hiccup shook his head. That wasn't bad _at all_. In fact, he didn't think he would have rather been anywhere else in the world other then right there with his wife and new daughter.

"We have to pick a name for her," Astrid said at length. "Do you have any ideas, Hiccup?"

In complete honesty, Hiccup hadn't thought about a name before now. He and Astrid had always talked about what they wanted to name their child: if it was a boy, then they would name him after Hiccup's father, and call him Stoick the Second. If it was a girl...well, there were so many names, they never actually decided on one or the other.

"We could name her after you," Hiccup said. "We could name her Astrid."

Astrid shrugged. "We could," she said, "or we could think of something else. How about...Sigfrid."

"Sigfrid?" Hiccup said. He liked the way it sounded. "That means 'beautiful victory', doesn't it?"

Astrid nodded. "Yeah," she confirmed.

"Sigfrid," Hiccup said, almost dreamily. "I love it. I love _her._ "

Astrid smiled. "I know you do," she said. Her smile only grew the more she looked at her husband holding their newborn child. She couldn't believe any of this was happening. She and Hiccup were parents.

"Oh, Astrid," Hiccup whispered, tracing Sigfrid's cheek with his index finger, "she's...she's just...she's so…"

"Perfect?" Astrid offered.

"She's better then perfect," Hiccup replied. "She goes far and beyond 'perfect.' She's...she's...I don't even know how to describe it."

Astrid smiled warmly. "I know," she said, leaning forward and placing her hand on her daughter's fuzzy head. "Our little Sigfrid…"

The new parents spent the rest of the night marveling over their daughter.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hiccup and Astrid had their baby! Yay! *streamers* So so so so so SO cute! :D**

 **I just want to say THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING A PART OF THIS STORY! I love you guys so, so, so, so, so much! You guys are all so beautiful and amazing and you made this story possible and I love you all! I hope you all enjoyed this story, and thanks to all who read, faved, reviewed, or followed! You guys are incredible! :D**

 **Honestly, I can't thank you enough! I know this wasn't one of my better stories, and the chapters weren't that good either, and updating was slow, but I hope you guys still liked it, 'cause I sure had fun writing it! :D I love you all, and thank you SO MUCH! :D**

 **Until next story!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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